Guardian of The Apple
by Siwsen
Summary: A Renaissance tale: A forgotten past has led Oria to Florence and made her a servant, but the time proves that her abilities go far beyond a merely servant. The lost past shall reveal what the others seek. May be rated to M later. Ezio/OC
1. The day I found myself in Florence

**Okay, this is my first fanfiction EVER, and I'm not a expert with the writting-thing in english, so I have got a lot of help from friends and my new and fantastic beta: Mismatch-Lover. **

***Do check her fanfictions!* **

**This is with my OC Oria and yes, it will be a Ezio/OC thing :P **

**By the way, the italian... I don't have anybody to help me with that besides the game and google, so you may find mistakes there ! **

**Well, shall we cast us into it?**

**

* * *

**

**The day I found myself in Florence**

_Owww..._  
_Okay, what are the chances for something good when you suddenly can't remember anything and pain is the only feeling in your entire body? Not good…_

There was only darkness before my eyes. My mind was empty; only a name was filling it slightly. Oria. My eyes were closed. The only thing that I could feel was pain; pain in my head, my back, arms… in my entire body. When I finally opened my eyes, the only thing I could see was this light color of yellow and slight brown mixed together to create an even warmer color. It was poking me. Okay, that was weird. Why was something long and thin poking me?

Suddenly, I realized that it was hay; I was surrounded by hay...so, I was in a haystack! Great. But why was I in a haystack? Seriously? That didn't make any sense at all.

I finally pulled myself up from the hay, making the pain scream throughout me, and make me flinch. After I had taken some deep breaths, I looked around, finally feeling confused through the confusion. Well, lucky for me people weren't staring. Actually, it was like they hadn't even seen me. That made me happy because how embarrassing wouldn't that have been if there had been a dozen people staring at me, while I crawled out of a haystack?

I looked around and sighed. I couldn't understand this. How the hell did I forget everything? I didn't even know what I looked like, how old I was, why I was here, and where "here" was… there was only that name, Oria. I guess my name was Oria… It didn't make any sense, but nothing here did make sense. I brushed off the hay and some of the dust that was covering my clothes and hair—my brown hair, I found out.

I looked around. Every building was mostly painted in red and white, maybe a little brownish hint to it all, but there were a lot of them, and some of these buildings had patterns on them. It was beautiful. Some buildings even seemed to reach the sky. The open spaces between the buildings formed large and small streets, and people walked around with their heads full of the errands they were suppose to do I imagined.

The haystack I had just been in was near a small alley, and obviously didn't get much attention. It was a pretty random place to have a haystack, I must say. I turned my head straight up, now staring up a tall building, which stood like a titan over me. I felt like a midget.

_"Okay, calm down Oria, you just woke up in a totally random and unknown place, nothing to be hysterical about."_ Hell yes, that was one stupid attempt to calm myself a little, but at least I tried. I sighed deeply, trying to make sense of all this, but nothing did. Nothing at all.

I decided to take a little walk in the streets; just to look around and hopefully find a place to stay. Because sleeping in a haystack was okay, but not something I actually wanted to do.

But as soon I began to walk in the open streets, I found out that every place I went, people were staring at me. Some even looked shocked. It was really uncomfortable. So I decided that it was best to get my ass moving away from the crowd. But while I was on my way, a thought hit me: why the hell did they stare so much at me? I couldn't be that ugly, could I? Did I have something on my face? This made me run—surprisingly fast, too. I had to find out why people were staring so much at me. I just had to. Otherwise, how was I suppose to find a place to stay? Or even ask for some help?

I lost focus and didn't catch most of the surroundings that went by in my speed.

Out of nowhere, it was like everything got black for a moment, until I felt some small hands against me, holding me up. It was like all the strength in my body had just disappeared, had drowned in the pain that overpowered me. It surprised me for a moment, but the hands never let go of me.

"Are you alright?" a voice said, a woman; I could tell. I blinked my eyes quickly, trying to get my eyes to focus. I lifted my head, and I found myself looking up at a pretty woman who looked kind, but also slightly worried.

"Ye-yeah, I'm fine, thank you," I said in a shaky voice, getting up on my own two feet.

"You're welcome," she just said. I looked closely at her; she had brown hair and dark eyes. The hair was tied tightly together at the back, and she was wearing a purple-colored dress. On her arm hung a basket with food in it—which just reminded me of something. I was actually starving. And shortly after, my whole stomach was growling loudly, showing its dissatisfaction with its emptiness. The woman looked at me with a smile upon her lips, and suddenly asked:

"What's your name?"

"Oria… I think."

"You think?"

"Yeah… actually I can't remember anything at all, and when I was walking out in the street everybody was looking at me, like they were looking at a ghost or something…"  
The women grinned slightly and looked at me with a pitying look that I didn't understand.

"Well, that would probably be your clothes' doing," she said. I blinked.

My clothes? I thought for a moment, and took the time to look down at myself. I must say, I didn't find anything about my clothes that could give the people an excuse to have stared at me so much. Just because I wore a long, black cardigan with some golden embroidery, a shirt underneath, some dark pants, a big belt and some boots that got up to my knees – and not a dress fit for a woman – my gaze went from my clothes to the woman's long dress, and I began to understand that something was really wrong.

The woman seemed to understand this, but she kept quiet about the subject.

"Well, do you have a place to stay? Since you can't remember…"

"No, I don't, I guess..." I answered slowly, and suddenly realized the whole situation.

I. Was. Fucked.

"Well, you can come with me then. Maybe I can get my master to let you work for him and his family. They are very kind people. Just until this "situation" gets cleared up."

Well, it was a start, I thought. But didn't even know what I had just got myself into.

"Thank you so much!" I gushed. To have a place for now was for the best and did save me from sleeping in a haystack.

"Don't worry about it, I am glad to help. My name is Annetta, by the way."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Annetta," I said with a smile on my face, the first one since I woke up.

"Me too, Oria."

We began to walk slowly, she didn't seem to have to hurry or anything, which I liked very much: my body still ached with pain, but why it did so was a mystery to me.

"So, can you tell me the name of this city?"

"You are in Florence, in Italy."  
"Florence…" I whispered, which made Annetta look at me with a small smile  
on her lips. Well, now I knew where I was, and the fact that I was in Italy did explain why my name was Italian and why I was talking Italian. Slowly, we moved out from the small street we were on, and then it hit me. Wouldn't people still look at me?

Annetta saw my concern and gave me a little friendly pat on the back; like it would be alright. But that just send a long trail of pain through my whole body. I held the pain inside me just so Annetta wouldn't become aware of it just yet.

"Don't worry, just act like nothing's wrong, and people will let it pass. Trust me, you are not the first woman to walk in pants." She smiled and blinked to me. (Easier said than done, I would say) I could not help but smile at her, happy that she didn't think like everyone else – and hadn't found out about the pain. I could relax around her, and we talked on the way to this so- called work of hers.

I was in total shock when I saw the house… no, palazzo. It was amazing! I looked from the palazzo to Annetta and to the palazzo again. Not completely believing my eyes, I was amazed by the riches of the hour, but I already knew that there were far more stunning buildings in this city. Annetta didn't wait for me and began to walk inside the palazzos' front garden, which was more like an outside hall. I followed on her heels, looking to every corner, amazed about everything.

"So, do you think this Master of yours really would allow me—you know, a totally stranger—to work for him?" Annetta turned to look at me and smiled again; I was still wondering how she could smile so much, I had not smiled that much, but then again, I didn't really have a reason to do so. I just looked seriously at her.

"Messer Giovanni Auditore is a nice and understanding man. He is one of the few with a brain. When he hears your story, he won't be able to kick you out the door, so don't worry!" Well, that didn't really calm me down, but I just kept my mouth shut. I was going to find out just what kind of man this Giovanni was.

But before we got into the palazzo, I pulled gently on Annetta's clothes and she looked questioningly at me with a look that said that I could continue with my question.

"What will your Master say to these clothes of mine?" She looked at me with surprise, but then her face warmed and a soft giggle left her.

"Don't worry. Mr. Giovanni is not like other men." Then she pulled the door to the palazzo open and let us in. Yet again I looked around, overwhelmed. I couldn't even really believe this yet. The hall we entered was big, with warm colors, plants and paintings on the walls. A large staircase rose from the floor like a dress.

Annetta left the basket on a little table in this big hall, and then walked over to a door where she knocked lightly. I just stood still, biting my bottom lip hoping that everything would turn out alright.

We got permission to enter, and soon I faced this Giovanni man. Well, he looked reasonable enough.

He was sitting at a large, dark desk in a big room, which certainly was his office. Like in the hall, the walls in the office had a dark brownish-red color, a few paintings and a plant or two. Behind the desk stood a bookshelf filled with books and other random things. Papers covered the desk almost entirely.

I was totally silent, didn't say a word. Giovanni looked at us, scanning me a lot actually. I could see how he pressed his eyebrows a bit assessing me. He took a good, long look at my clothes, and I began to hope that what Annetta had said was right. Then his attention went to Annetta again.

"And who is this?" he asked.

"Her name is Oria. I found her in the streets today when I was buying some food. The poor girl has lost her memories, and I thought that she could work here for some time."

There was silence for a moment, and I began to get nervous, but then Giovanni's face lightened up, and he smiled at me.

"Of course she can. It's a pleasure to meet you, Oria."

"The pleasure is all mine," I was fast to reply. Happy about this, a big smile went on my lips. I couldn't thank him enough for this!

He just smiled back."I believe that you can help her getting her settled?" he said. It wasn't really a question, but Annetta just nodded happily and replied in the same tone.

"Certo!(of course)"

He smiled quickly and looked down at his papers again. That was our sign to leave, and we exited the office. Annetta took me to the kitchen; she could probably remember that big growl my stomach had made before, because the next thing she did was to ask me to sit down, while she brought some food on a plate. The kitchen did resembled the rest of the palazzo in the color scheme, but this time the walls were covered with tiles, big ones. The floor was made of them as well. The place I was sitting was like a little island, but did take a lot of the space. Some of the tables were also covered in the beautiful tiles.

While eating, I saw how Annetta began to make more food, cleaning and cleaning the dishes. There wasn't a lot and the dishes were done quickly. She was great at keeping her pace, even when I was sitting there, asking her one thing after another.

"So, what am I going to do here?" I asked, still stuffing food into my mouth. Yeah, I was more than just hungry, but she didn't look offended by it, but just smiled like before.

"You will help me clean, make the bedrooms and do the laundry."

"Bene, that sounds easy."

"But keep an eye on the two older Auditore brothers, they like girls very much - soprattutto quelle belle (especially beautiful ones)." I could hear her smile – only heard because her back was turned towards me, but her happy voice did reveal that she had nothing against the brothers. I giggled lightly.

"Then there is nothing to worry about." She looked at me, then raised an eyebrow, while a crooked smile took shape on her lips.

"How do you know? When have you looked at yourself in a mirror?"

"It sounded like you were saying that I am beautiful!" I teased. Not even knowing how I looked like, except for the brown hair, which was falling over my shoulders, almost begging me to get washed and put up in a ponytail.

"Who said I wasn't?" Okay, she knew how to say things, but that sounded more like what a boy would say to a girl than, yeah, a girl to another girl. I didn't reply to that one, just let it past. But Annetta didn't let the silence last long.

"When you're finished eating, I will go make the bath ready for you and some clean clothes." A bath sounded wonderful to my ears, and I was already excited to get all this dirt off of me.

After a little while, Annetta was showing me where the bathroom was. Well, this bathroom wasn't so outstanding like the rest of the palazzo, but then again, we were only servants after all. And for a servant this was quite nice.

"Here you go. Just leave your clothes there, and I will wash them for you while you bathe. I will come with some clean clothes; you can use in the mean time." I looked at her and smiled. I really appreciated this.

"Thank you so much for everything!" She just smiled, and then went out the door to retrieve some clothes. I heard the door close, and I began to pull my clothes off. It was actually nice to get them off. I felt like my skin could breathe once again. But the more I took off, the more surprised I got from all the sharp tools I found, hiding in all kind of different places in my clothes. There were small knives, a dagger and so on. I looked at them, didn't know what to do with these, so I quickly hid them in a little bag I found. Strangely enough, it was like fate had handed me the bag. I thought about telling Annetta about these tools, but I quickly erased that thought. Because how would I explain it? Why would a young girl like me have tools like that on her? Hm?

Well, setting all that aside, I then saw a mirror, and thought that this was the time to see how I looked like. I wasn't fully naked, but almost as good as.

I took a deep breath, and then looked into the mirror. My eyes froze, not by the looks of myself, no, but the looks of all those bruises I had all over my skin. I threw my open shirt on the floor, just looking in the mirror. What the hell had happened to me? It was when I had thrown my shirt on the floor, that I found a grayish bandage around my left forearm. It was small and easy to hide. I didn't get the time to take it off before I got interrupted.

"Oh mio Dio (my God), what has happened to you?" I quickly turned around, in shock. When the hell had Annetta come in? My eyes dilated as I looked at her, I didn't know what to say or do. I just held my hands against my chest, hiding the bandage. She came swiftly over to me, turned me around as she looked at my back.

"Oh my, I will get you some medicine right away - why didn't you say that you were hurt?" She talked fast and her voice was filled with anxiety.

"Well, I didn't know… I just couldn't remember that I was hurt." Yeah right, bullshit, I hadn't felt anything but pain since I woke up.

"Get into the bath fast, and I will clean your bruises. I will be right back with something for those wounds of yours!" Then she almost ran out of the room, the door slammed and left me all alone once again. My head almost couldn't follow the speed.

I looked over my shoulder while I kept my hair in my hands at my chest, then I took a look at my back in the mirror.

My back was filled with dried blood and bruises, and I almost got a shock when I saw this. After a few steps I was in the warm water, and it was thrilling to feel it. It almost gave me goose bumps. The blood that touched the water began to slowly dissolve, and made the water slightly red.

With my back to the door I just sat quietly, waiting for Annetta to come back again. I heard how the door open up, and I turned half way around, expecting to see Annetta, but instead I just heard the deep voice and saw the figure in the door. I felt how my whole body became stiff.

"Annetta have you seen my bro—." A young man looked at me with big eyes. This was not something he had expected, that's for sure! He just stood there while he began to realize what he saw. It felt like years passed by before he said anything and I finally realized what was happening.

"Well, hello bella (beauty), have you seen Annetta?" I flushed scarlet. I was in a bath, totally naked, and then this young handsome… okay scratch that, man looking at me like it was the most natural thing in the whole world. Help here?

"Eh? N-no – GET OUT!" I yelled at the top of my lungs while throwing the soap at him. And he just laughed while he easily dodged the flying soap.

"Prendere bellezza facile, (take it easy beauty) you have nothing to be shy about." But then he suddenly looked seriously at me, like he had found out… shit, the bruises. With a fast move I almost submerged my whole body into the water to hide, and turned my back away from him. Well, this was fucking embarrassing.

"You do know that you can see through water, right?" He smiled. That idiot. I finally realized that no matter what I did, he could turn this to his use, and I didn't even know the guy.

"YOU IDIOTA, BASTARDO! VATTENE! (Get out)"I screamed and finally he did so. My whole face was red, and he knew this. What a day. I sighed, but I couldn't calm down just yet.

"Oh, ser Ezio, what are you doing here?" I froze. That was Annetta and she was talking to that guy. Ser? Oh no, don't say that I just yelled at Giovanni's son? Tell me that I just didn't!

"I was actually looking for you, but I can see you have your hands full, so I will just come back later." He glanced at me one last time, with a crooked smile on his lips. I didn't listen to them anymore, I couldn't take it any longer. But it was no near over yet.

"I can see you met ser Ezio." Annetta smiled at me, looking at my red face. Oh just kill me now, God!

"… Is he Mr. Giovanni's son?" I asked, biting my bottom lip, hoping for the best, but I could already see on Annetta's face that I was correct.

"Yes, that's Ezio Auditore, second oldest son in the family," she replied as she came closer to me and began to wash my back, causing the pain to scream in my body, but I held my scream in.

"Oh Dio, sono così licenziato!(Oh God, I am so fired!)" Annetta smiled lightly—well, I couldn't be sure, but I could certainly feel it; it was like it was burning a hole in my back.

"Don't worry, Ezio isn't that kind of man, trust me, he is only thinking it as funny."

"Yeah right, funny he is the only one with that thought!"

"But Ser Ezio sure has his charms, does he not?" I didn't say anything to that. For a few moments, I couldn't stop my thoughts about this Ezio guy.

"I don't think so! The guy just kept staring at me!" I cried out.

"Like I said before, the Auditore brothers like beautiful girls! Such as yourself." With that she poured a lot of water over my head to wash the soap out that she had put in my hair after taken care of my back and other bruises on my body - but surely also to keep my mouth shut, because she knew I would deny it.

* * *

***Note: if the words "Læs fonetisk" is in the text ignore it, it's not supposed to be there, but doesn't remove it when I try so - I'm sorry!***

**So now you have read the first chapter from my Fanfiction, and I really hope you like it and will follow it :)**

**Please review! :3 **


	2. The first day in The palazzo

**Okay, chapter 2 is up and I hope you will enjoy it :D **

**AND I have some few things to say, so listen up!  
In chapter 1 there was sometimes the words "Læs fonetisk" in the text, ignore it, it's not supposed to be there, but doesn't remove it when I try so - I'm sorry! I don't know if this goes for this chapter too, but if it does, then just ignore it ;) - It's not something I have written and it is in danish, soo ^^! **

**And another thing! The italian... I don't have anybody to help me with that besides the game and google, so you may find mistakes there !**

**AND AND AND! If you want to find pictures/Drawings of Oria, Ezio and so on, then go to my profile, there is a link to my Da profile :3 **

***Note: FF is being a ass ^^! It won't show the editing I have made, and it made this chapter totally messy and confusing - I hope it works now! *******

**

* * *

**

Chapter 2: The First Day in The Palazzo

It was a welcoming feeling that I had. I was finally clean and didn't smell like a dustbin when I was done with my bath. It had been so great – okay, maybe except for the lack of privacy, and the pain I had from my injuries. There were a lot of small wounds, and then there were the big ones, which was surely the reason that it hurt so much as it did. Last, but not least, abrasions. Annetta had kept talking about them and how I should be laying in bed instead of working, but I just told her that I couldn't be sick in bed on my first day of work, what kind of servant would I be then. With that, she finally stopped; she had been talking almost nonstop. I appreciated Annetta and her care, but sometimes it was just too much. Of course I didn't say anything to her; I had my new position because of her.

The one thing I just had to endure was the fact that I had to be in a dress. Suddenly I really missed my old clothes; it felt weird not to have something wrapped around my legs anymore. Now it was just this long dress fabric. The sleeves went to just above my elbows, sitting tight to my skin –and just barely hid the small area of the bandage (which I was still uncertain what it was for; it didn't resemble with any kind of wound.) The dress was cut in a nice, soft curve on the chest, and that part _would have_ revealed some of my cleavage if it wasn't for the white shirt underneath it. But if I were to bend down – to get something UP from the ground, I might add - it would probably reveal a little. The whole dress was in a light blue color and it reminded me of the sky.

I was lucky, I found out. The new shoes I had on went to my ankles, but had a thick sole, like it was placed there for some protection. And that did indeed become handy. The shoes were not open, no, they were closed with laces. As the last touch, I had tied my hair in a loose ponytail; which reminded me yet again that I now knew what I looked like. I already knew about my dark brown hair, but my eyes were a dark blue color, and if I wasn't mistaken, that color wasn't very normal around here. My body wasn't actually that bad, to be precise—not at all; actually, you should think that I would be in really great shape. About _that_ part, I couldn't stop thinking what it was I had been doing before my memory loss. My body wasn't actually like one that every girl would have. Not that I was saying I was more beautiful than all the others (because I wasn't) but it was more like I didn't really have that much fat on my body—more muscles than anything. About my height: I wasn't that tall. No, I was definitely not tall. Okay, enough about my looks, I wasn't that special anyway.

After Annetta had showed me around the palazzo and shown me where my room was, the day was almost over. So I spent the rest of my time in my room relaxing – oh, and hiding the bag with the weapons under the bed. I was so going to sell these the first thing tomorrow.

Well, besides that, the room was great. There was an actual bed with a blanket and a pillow. I felt like I was in heaven already! Next to my bed was a folded nightgown that was laid on a small brown nightstand. Everything was ready for me, and after I had changed, I crawled under the blanket, and finally let myself sleep, hoping that every night from now on, I could sleep so comfortably.

The next morning it was Annetta that woke me up, early—really early. She ripped the curtains apart with a happy atmosphere around her and let the warm morning sunlight pour in. I tried to hide my face in the pillow; I wasn't happy in the slightest about this. I just wanted to sleep.

"Now, sleepyhead, you have to get out of bed. A new day lies ahead, and we have a lot to do!"

Right then, I would have loved to hurl a pillow right in her face, but I was hiding my face in it, and no way would I let it go.

"Oria, it was yourself that said that you wouldn't lie in bed all day like a sick person on your first day, so get up." Oh damn, she was right. I had said that. I lifted my head up from the pillow, looking at her over my shoulder with a really lazy, tired, and annoyed glare. She was all dressed, happy and totally in spirit. I wasn't going to try to convince her to give me some more time in bed; her face told me all about how she would drag me out of bed, pour water over me and so on. I sighed, a sign of surrender. Yawing, I finally sat up, with my curly hair poking in all directions. Yeah, did I forget to tell you that my hair did have curls? Well, it did. Not many, but enough.

God I was going to hate these early mornings.

I stretched my torso. Yawned once again and rubbed my eyes, trying to chase the sleep out.

"Okay, okay, I'm up!" I growled, finally pulling the blanket away (or more like kicking it away.) Annetta just smiled and then headed out of my room, leaving me to myself so I could get changed.

Finally, I was ready so I headed out of my room, but then it hit me; I had forgotten all about this building, it's layout, but who could blame me? I was new, just started, and I was standing in a big palazzo. I looked around to see if I could gather some thoughts about the layout: I got zero…

"Great," I sighed, then I began to wander around, hoping to meet some people here that could actually help me. The one thing that I could remember was that my room was on the second floor. But the more time that went by, the more I finally realized that nobody but Annetta and me were up now. Or so I thought. The next thing I knew, I suddenly bumped into something… no, actually someone.

I looked up in confusion, finding myself looking into this young man's brown eyes… wait a moment. THAT'S the guy from the day before. Shit. He looked at me with a wry smile on his lips, and a warm light in those brown eyes of his. I felt like I could melt before him, but I mentally shook my head fast to get those thoughts out of my head.

"Well, hello there, bello (beauty). How was the bath?" My mouth was sealed, my voice died in my throat. What a jerk! Of course, my face began to get a light red color on the cheeks when the memories from the day before came back. God, I hated this.

"Well, it was quite good, thank you very much! But it would have been better if it wasn't for some Idiota that suddenly decided to come in and disturb me!" I snapped. It was only a moment later that I realized what I just had said. Why was it that every time I was around this man, I would end up saying something stupid?

"That must have been a shock, I can just imagine it!" He didn't look like one who actually took what I had just said to heart, but just played along with a farce, acting like how he could imagine the whole thing.

"I'm sure you can," I said with an low voice, looking away from him out of the corner of my eye.

"Hopefully, it was a handsome young man who came in?" But then _that _came from his mouth and my eyes were, with surprise reflecting in them, drawn back to him. Was he joking with me? Well, considering that I was new, I decided to play along.

"Oh, that would have been an overstatement! He wasn't even near that! And what moron would be looking for someone in a bathroom? Seriously, I don't even think he has a brain." My voice was a little harsh, and my eyes just glared at him like he was no important person – which I didn't think he was, except that he _was _my master in one way or another. Maybe I did go too far and I got a little nervous by the thought.

"Maybe he thought that he would get to see something attractive – and I'm sure he did, since you where there." My eyes did widen a little at his words. How lame was that? Sure I said that, but my face was yet again getting a little red.

His charms were something I couldn't totally describe; they were wild, unknown, and tainted; you got the feeling that if you played along—let him do what he was best at—he could set you free, in more than one way.

Yet again, I found myself speechless. My lips parted but then closed again. I was so losing face here, and so I just snapped at him again. What else was there to do?

"Yeah right, what "attractive" is there if the person in there had been an old man sitting on the toilet?" I shifted my weight to my left leg and crossed my arms, while I looked with a raised eyebrow and surely with a little unknown smile on my lips.

"Well, sometimes you just have to take a chance – and luckily for him, it wasn't some old man sitting on the toilet," he replied with a smile and a little grin on his face.

He was never going to give up was he? No, I could easily see that in his face and hear it in his voice.

It made me sigh, and then I lost my position, finding us at the head of the big staircase, which was a great thing—I now knew where I was in this palazzo. But the fact that I hadn't realized this yet was a little stupid, because the Ezio-guy did stand on the last step to the second floor, on the staircase.

"No, it wasn't, but the idiot, which apparently was you, still burst into the God damn room!" I got angrier as the whole situation began to re-play in my mind.

"But I do live here, you know," he explained while he changed his position, defending his intentions.

"So you admit that you are an idiot!"

"I may be an idiot, but who are you?"

"A new servant here."

" Who sure talks big to her masters!" He added in and then grinned a little under his breath. I couldn't see the funny part there, so I just kept my serious stare at him, but he was right. Not a good thing I guessed, but the words just tumbled out of my mouth.

"And you sure seem to like it!" I raged, and suddenly he bent a little towards me, which led me instantly to lean a bit away from him. My face was very close to his now, and I could feel his warm breath. It made me shiver quietly, although I tried to hide it from him.

"Well of course. Talking to a beautiful and charming young woman as yourself isn't something I would miss," he whispered in a warm, strong voice. I automatically bit my lip, sucking a little on it. I was shocked by the way he could dazzle me, and my inner voice yelled at me to get myself under control again. I pushed him away from me with a gentle hand while I spoke.

"Oh, I'm flattered," I teased coldly and then it hit me how long I had stood here, talking to this idiot, when I was supposed to work, and not be in a discussion.

"Well, if you will excuse me, I will be going now _SER_ Ezio!" With that I began to walk down the stairs, though he replied rather quickly.

"So, you do know my name – but drop the _ser_-part – that's Annetta's thing."

"Sure, whatever," I just replied and kept going down, but he wasn't going to let me escape so easily. A few second after I felt a strong, warm big hand around my upper arm that made me stop. I looked a little irritated at him and with a glare that said "what now?"

"By the way, are you okay?" Now I was really confused, and he got to see that in my whole face. He sighed a little and then turned suddenly serious; it was like a whole new man stood before me—well actually behind me.

"You were hurt yesterday. Are you sure you shouldn't be lying down instead of working?"

"Do I look hurt now?"

"No?"

"Then you have nothing to worry about." I gave him a little smile, but now that I think about it, I don't quite remember why I did so. I think he got a little surprised about that smile too, but then looked pleased and gave my arm it's freedom back. I may have said that, but I must admit that it did hurt a little when he suddenly had taken seize of my arm. I continued on my way down and finally reached the floor. I looked around a bit, and then found the door I was hoping to find. But before I could get out of sight, Ezio called me.  
"Hey bello (Beauty), what's your name?" I looked up at him in surprise - he wasn't standing on the staircase anymore, but leaned against the railing.

"Oria," I replied and moved once again but a little slower, just so I could catch what he would say, if he was going to say anything. But what he said just made me smile to myself.  
"Nice to meet you, Signora Oria." And then the door closed behind me.

Something did tell me that I wasn't used to be around boys often. Not that I knew, but it just kind of hit me as I stood there, against the closed door in the kitchen.  
"Someone is in a happy mood." I flinched and my eyes captured her smile - her flirty teasing smile. Annetta kept a big bowl in her embrace, while she stirred in the mass. But before I could say anything to her, she interrupted my unspoken sentence.

"But awfully late you know! The things don't make themselves, unfortunately." I bit my bottom lip and walked fast into the room.

"I'm so sorry, but that Idiota Ezio kept me away from my duties." It was soon after I heard how wrong that could have sounded. Annetta looked at me like she was really surprised, her mouth hanging open a bit, I might add.

"You didn't already?" she gasped.

"NO, for God sake, no!" I snapped fast, but in a little funny voice. I must admit, we did laugh a little about that; not fully with our voices, but certainly with our faces. But after that, the words sure didn't have anything to stop themselves, and they just flew out of my mouth as I walked closer to her.

"No, that idiota is really an Idiota! That creep, I would never ever be with someone like him! I would never! And why the hell is he up so early?" I cried, while my hands just took something random in their possession.

"If I'm not mistaken, I think Messer Ezio just got home from Cristina, but for him to come home so early is a surprise indeed." Annetta said with a giggle lightly on its way.  
"Maybe he got kicked out," I spat out, and I kind of did hope that it had really happened for some unknown reason.

"And why would I have been kicked out?" God, I got surprised and almost jumped high in the air from shock. I wasn't the only one, Annetta did too, but she didn't react like me.

"Would you stop_ that!_ And what the hell are _you_ doing in _here_?" I hissed looking at Ezio that suddenly came into the kitchen – I didn't even hear the door open.

"What? I got hungry and this _is_ the kitchen if I'm not mistaken." I frowned at him, and then let out a little hiss.

"Oh really, because I thought that this was the bathroom." He just shrugged with a little smile at me.

"Then you should get your eyes checked," he teased, and I was suddenly beginning to really dislike him - but before I could give a comeback, Annetta broke into the conversation with an innocent smile and a gently shaking head.

"Would an apple be okay for now?" she just asked calmly, peering at Ezio who smiled at her, and nodded.

"Si, that would be great." She then looked at me because I was obviously the one who was nearest the fruit bowl. I sighed a little and then was about to take a random apple, but…

"A red one, please."

"Why a red one? Does it even matter what color it is?" I snarled, annoyed, while I looked at him again, but of course he just stood there with his big charming smile on those lips of his.

"Well of course it does. Then I can think of yours sweet red lips while I eat it."

I just took one random apple, which of course was a red one… Automatically, I tossed the stupid apple to him, and the big guy just grabbed it like it was nothing, but he looked a little surprised by the power of the toss. He took a bite, closed his eyes and looked like the apple was sent from God. I was going to hate that smile for the rest of my life. I just knew it – if not the face.

"Well, enjoy," I teased as a brow raised, and my arms took a hold at my hips. I was really annoyed right now and just wanted his stupid, charming face to disappear.

* * *

I let out a loud sigh when he had finally gone out the door. This was going to be a long day. But the feeling that I was a stupid, annoying bitch did come over me, and that just made my mood drop to a lower level. Annetta saw this and patted me on the back, while I lay over the little stone table in the middle of the kitchen.

"If you don't mind, we should get to work now," Annetta said, a little unsure about how to make any sense of my changing mood, another sigh left me and I raised myself up from the table, looking a little sorry to her.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I am just a little confused, I guess." I ran a hand over my face as if I was trying to clean something of, but it was more to get a new mood to appear, one that actually could be used to something other than snap at people.

"It's okay, I'm sure you just need to make sense of this, and then it will be alright."

"I sure hope so," I just replied, beginning to help with the work around – which, at first, was breakfast. I was horrible at making food I found out, and soon I had Annetta right behind me, with an eye on the food every single minute. The first few times she had let me be, the food had nearly died on me and turned to ash. Good that Annetta had been around to save it just in time. She suddenly looked really tired, I couldn't blame her. Her job wasn't babysitting me, so my job did change a few times after that. Next I got the job to make the morning table ready. And again it was a total disaster. It turned out like a small hurricane had been there. The napkins weren't folded the way they should, and Annetta had to make them right. But instead of giving up on me, she taught me how to do it, and how the things were supposed to be on the table.

I learned it quick after that, and Annetta could relax about it all. I just got to the door as the family got into the room. I must say, they looked happy, really happy. A gentle smile spread on my lips and a warm feeling kindled inside me as I leaned against the door frame, on the outside of the room, so only a little of my head and a little of my torso could be seen.

I got a little surprise because Giovanni saw me, but didn't say anything, only smiled a warm smile and with eyes that made me feel welcome here. I guess my presentation would wait a little, but that didn't matter now.

"That's Maria, Giovanni's wife, and that's their oldest son Federico, Ezio, Claudia and then Petruccio, the youngest," Annetta said in a low voice close while she pointed at them discreetly behind me. I knew she mentioned them in order of age.

"They look so happy. I almost envy them." My voice was happy but also sad. I had a feeling that I didn't have a family waiting for me out there, in this big world. I felt like I was alone, the only one left. I only felt Annetta's gentle hand on my shoulder blade.

"Annetta, do you mind if I just could get a second?" She looked a little surprised but somehow she understood me and nodded.

* * *

I felt like a lump was in my throat, making it difficult to breath and like my eyes had got something in them, because they were suddenly glassy, threatened to let tears spill over the edge as I walked fast in the hall towards the staircase. I ran fast up the stairs, turned right and after a little while I got into my room. My back was against the door and my hand covered my face but no tears were running wildly down my cheeks. _"Calm down Oria, you don't even know what's wrong, take a breath."_ It helped a little. I got my emotions under control as I took a deep breath. I rubbed my face and smiled to myself, all clear and fine, nothing wrong…

I got out from my room once again, and when I came to the stairs I found out that the breakfast was finished. I wasn't even sure how long I had been neglecting my duties, but it couldn't have been for that long…

"Oh, Oria, meet the rest of my family." I looked up from the stairs where my eyes had been fixed, to Giovanni that now waved me closer to his family. They were all staring at me, and the thought not to fall down the last pair of stairs was suddenly the only thought that I could keep in mind. Luckily, it didn't happen.

"This is Oria, a new servant I hired yesterday. Oria, this is my wife, Maria; my oldest son Federico; my second oldest son Ezio; my oldest and only daughter Claudia; and my youngest and last son, Petruccio." I made a small curtsy (more like a respectful nod) as I got introduced to them and them to me. Maria stood noble, strong eyes but kind, as a proud mother. I must say Federico had almost the same glint in his eyes as Ezio, but not as wild and untamed as him. It must be the maturity that had sat in, but I guess you should never say never. And it sure didn't seem like the oldest brother had lost his playboy passion. Claudia had the same strong eyes, actually, they all did. But when I looked at Petruccio I could see that something wasn't totally as it should be. But still, he looked strong, but something was missing in his eyes.

I was relived; I got taken in by the whole family without any protests, without any remarks. I was happy as I walked into the kitchen and met Annetta with a big smile and joy in my eyes. She could see it crystal clear and that made her giggle.

"Oria, will you begin with the bedrooms? Then I will take care of the new dishes." I nodded and began my duties.

I already knew where the sheets were, so it didn't take long before I got into a steady pace. At first it was a little troublesome but I got better and quicker as I did it. Petruccio's room was next. I knocked a little and made my way into the room. Petruccio was lying in his bed, smiling at me as I got closer. The windows were closed, the curtains drawn and hiding the sun. It was ridiculous! The boy should be bathing in the sunlight and not hiding in the darkness. So I quickly made my way over to the windows, flipped the curtains apart and smiled back to Petruccio.

"I hope its okay I let the sunlight get in." He just nodded, not saying much – or anything.

I already knew that the boy was sick, and nobody knew what was wrong. They could only keep him in his room, praying that he would be alright and get better.

The boy was holding a book in his hands, reading it in silence.

"What are you reading?" I asked curiously, and got beside him.  
"It's a book about a boy who finds an unknown land beyond the sea." His eyes shone and his voice sounded so fresh. He looked up at me with a face that told me all about how he loved this book. It made me smile and giggle a little under my breath.

"I see you really like stories." I took a look around. A large bookshelf stood with lots and lots of books, in all kind of genres.

"Yes, they keep secrets - but then again, it's not like I can do anything else." First his answer sounded so bright, so happy, but then… then it was like a bird with broken wings, unable to fly to all those adventures he was so eager to do, to discover the same lands the boy in his book had. But he was fast to interrupt my saddening thoughts.

"What about you? Do you like stories?" His happy voice did something to me; I don't know what, but it must be the happy, noncommittal and eager voice of his that made things look so bright.

"Well, I guess I don't really know, but I have this thing for making stories," I said. Only to realize what I just had said. _I made stories? What the –_

"Could you tell me one? I have read almost all of my books twice already." He grinned, I got taken a little aback by that. What was I going to do now? Well, I just threw myself into it. Not knowing what to do the first pair of words just left my lips while I sat down on his bed by his side.

"Well, let's see. There was once a man who was very brave, strong and kind, loved to tease girls and chasing skirts–" he laughed with a sweet voice and I couldn't take my eyes from him.

That sounds just like Federico and Ezio."

"It does? Haha, then maybe I should make him a cowardly, weak, not-so-handsome man then," I teased.

"No! Don't do that." He grinned with his full heart in it, it was like music to the ears. I continued.

"Okay then. He had a lovely family where they respected and helped each other. But one day the young man began to get dreams about how he would travel the world, rescue damsels in distress, fight for the good. So he took off, saying goodbye to his family with only a small bag of money and food." As the story was rolling, the more he looked amazed, and I was seriously beginning to think how the hell I could come up with all that. But it was fun, and I got caught up and soon I began to move with the flow of the story, using my hands and arms to show what the man did. We both laughed together and forgot all about the thing called time.

* * *

Laughter was flowing out from the room behind the closed door, letting a warm atmosphere leak out from the room. Some got curious enough to make their way to the room, just to take a little peak inside. Ezio opened the door with no sound, just a little and looked in. Well, this was not what he had expected to see. Oria and Petruccio were so caught up in a story that they didn't have time for the outside world. But it made him glad to see that happy face on Petruccio.

"Hmm, sounds like they are having fun." Ezio looked with a smile that only he could provide at his father who now was standing beside him, also looking at the laughing two.

"Haha, si padre (yes father). It's a long time since I have seen Petruccio so caught up in a story like this." Giovanni smiled, he could only agree with his son.

"Maybe I should join in on the fun," Ezio then said, looking with a confident smile to his father who could only laugh at his son.

"Haha, Si, you do that."

* * *

I had almost tears in my eyes from laughing when a certain young man came into the room, looking with a big smile at us. Petruccio smiled even bigger now and called with a big eager voice.

"Ezio! Oria is telling me a story! It's about a man who travels around the world, he is just like you and Federico, but only smarter, stronger and more successful with girls than you." Oh boy, he got me laughing harder now, and I had to hold for my mouth with my whole body shaking with laughter.

"Hey! You can't be smarter, stronger OR more successful with girls then me!" Ezio cried out and then looked at me, because I was obviously the culprit – my story, remember?

"But he is!" Petruccio interrupted, but still with a big grin.

"No such man exists," Ezio teased, and sat down beside Petruccio on the other side of the bed. It wasn't hard to guess that Ezio had fun, but still kind of mean what he said. Men, I guess.

* * *

**Please review :3**

**And yet again, thank you Mismatch-Lover for your help! :D**

**Chapter 2 - over and out xD**


	3. A Mark Made By Fire

****

**Disclaims: I do NOT own Assassin's creed, nor the games plot!**

**Chapter 3 for you :D I hope you like it, and I know that things a going pretty slow here in the start, but don't worry, soon we will follow the game ^^  
This is kind of a boring chapter I guess, but oh well, hope you like it anyway :) **

**Thank you for _all_ the reviews and faves! :D It makes me very happy that people actually will follow this story ^^ **

**I have to apologize for all those emails about that chapter 2 were released again and again, but as you probably know, FF. net have given me some troubles with the correction thing _ unfortunately! **

**As I have said before: if you check my profile, you will could find a link to my DA profile and there you can see pictures of/to this fanfiction :D  
**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 3: A Mark Made By Fire

All happy things have to end, and so did ours. Maria had come into the room seeing us laughing and teasing each other. She looked at us for a short while with a smile, but then declared that Petruccio had to get some sleep. As the servant that I was, I bowed short for my master's words and began my way out of the room with Ezio at my heels. We walked side by side along the small corridor. It wasn't unpleasant to walk beside him. My weird mood didn't seem to disturb me this time. Which was great; I wouldn't end up saying something stupid again… I hope.

"You know, you don't have to bow every time we say or ask you to do something." His voice was friendly and his eyes were kind as he looked down at me. I didn't really say anything to that, just nodded a little nod. My eyes kept their place on him for a little moment. I was beginning to think that I should give the man a chance, give him some slack. I pulled my gaze to myself when he again looked at me. He must have felt my glance.

"So, why did you get a job here? Padre (father) has never really felt like he needed another maid." I knew this question would come sooner or later, so it didn't surprise me, not that it should have.

"Well, Annetta found me in an ally, and when I told her that I had lost my memory, she got me this job, just 'till I can find head and tail in all of this." His gaze at me was now a little shocked and he suddenly stopped in the middle of the corridor, looking at me. I turned around as soon I found out that he wasn't keeping up.

"You lost your memories?"

"Yeah, I can't remember how I did. Ironic." I think his aura held something, because I kind of liked to tease him, but of course I kept a little innocent smile at my lips while I spoke.

"Then what about your family? Your friends?" So many questions were burning inside him, and I couldn't even answer them all.

"I don't know. I don't feel like I have somebody waiting for me. But what do I know, I don't have a memory" I joked a little but he had turned so serious, just staring at me like he would solved the mystery by looking at me. "Keep staring all you want, I am not going to be prettier – or get my memory back for that matter." He sighed, seeing that I wasn't actually in the mood to think about what had been lost.

"What a shame. You sure could use a little with those looks of yours," he teased, I open my mouth as if I was about to say something aloud, but only let a little whisper of a grin out. I shook my head a little and rolled with my eyes. But he wasn't going to win this, so when he was beside me, I slammed my hand hard against his arm, just underneath his shoulder. He let a gasp of pain out and looked down on me again. I could see in his eyes he wasn't going to let me get away with that.

"That was for the peek you took when I was in bath!" I declared but that didn't help me a tiny bit. I bit my bottom lip and suddenly found myself running while laughing with Ezio sprinting behind to catch me, just so he could do whatever he had in mind. I could clearly see that gleam in his eyes, that bantering gleam. God, that only made me run faster.

We almost toppled the whole palazzo. Luckily we didn't break anything on our way, but the chances for it were a little to close for comfort. I guess that everything he and I did knock over, Ezio just nearly caught it before the thing was landing on the ground.

I got to the pillar at the stairs where I took a good hold of it, just so I could spin myself around it and changed the course to down the stairs. That was when I felt Ezio's hands around my hips, just as I was about to take the first step down, holding me away from my freedom, and closer to the plan that he had in mind.

"I must say, I didn't expect you to be that fast!" He said with a little breathless voice, I myself was rather breathless too.

"And I didn't expected you to be so slow," I rallied and looked at him with a teasing gaze. I could feel how his big, strong chest raised and sank in large movements as his lungs captured the lost air.

"Hey! Be nice" He said, maybe a little offended by it but he still had a friendly gleam.

"Out ran by a 'mere' girl, Ezio. How slow can you get?" I was playing with fire, I knew that, but it was still funny.

"You surely aren't just a mere girl! -But you asked for it" The voice he used was dangerous and teasing and then he began to tickle me. That took me by surprise. That wasn't something I had the slightest idea that he would do, but he did it and I began to wring in his grasp while laughing loud.

"EZIO STOP! Hahaha, please stop!" I cried out desperately trying to get out of his hold. Well one thing is for sure; I found out that I was ticklish. Not necessarily a good thing when you're in a company with a certain Ezio Auditore.

Gone in the laughter, I didn't see Maria come to a stand at the bottom of the stairs, looking a little surprise over our game. I froze when I realized she was there and Ezio soon followed after. But Ezio just looked fine, but I was more nervous. What wouldn't she think of me.

"Hello mother," Ezio bluntly said, not the slightest embarrassed about holding a servant in his hands and tickling her – oh well, this _is_ Ezio we are talking about.

"If you two are finished playing, I would like you to help me, Oria." Her voice was calm, not a blaming or offended by any means. Actually she was more tolerant then I had expected which got me relaxing again – but I guess with three young boys in the family you get used to it.

I became muted but of course I nodded, but I wasn't free from Ezio yet, and he didn't look like one who would let go anytime soon, so with a fast movement with my foot I tramped over one of his feet with my thick sole. The poor guy hissed out of the suffering I had put him through in the split moment and let me go in the same moment. I began to move quickly down the stairs to Maria who was waiting for me as I got free. Ezio just stood there, silence as he rubbed his sore foot. Looking at him for one last time over my shoulder, I caught eye contact with him but instead of a smile, I send him a goodbye with my tongue. Of course, he only grinned at me, but he had an annoying satisfied smile on his lips and eyes that could devour me, which I didn't understand why – but I would in time.

* * *

"I know that smile." Ezio turned to see his big brother, Federico, look at him with his arm crossed and a big amusing smile on his lips.

"Fratello, (brother) what's up?" Federico just shrugged and began to move closer to Ezio.

"Nothing much, but I see you have your head full of plans. What, another conquest?"

Ezio chuckled. "Federico, you see right through me."

"Don't underestimate me, Ezio; I am your big brother. It's the new girl, I presume?" Federico grinned as he took place just beside Ezio, learning against the railing and looked down on the girl who was almost out of sight. She couldn't hear them, which they knew, so they didn't subdue their voices.

"Not a surprise, I have been taught by the best," Ezio teased. They both knew it was meant to the girl-passion thing. Ezio took a last long look at the girl and then answered with his strong voice.  
"Si, nothing like a bello (Beauty)." He smiled at his brother who grinned with him as he dabbed Ezio on his shoulder. "You never change, my brother."

* * *

I must say, life was pretty nice at the moment, even though I had to wake up early and do a lot of things for some nobles. But they were not like those prig nobles that thought they were the only great thing in the world. They were kind and understanding. I owned a lot to them. But I could surely live without the dress. However, for now, I just let it pass my mind, and instead I tried to think about where I was supposed to be. Firenze was still too new to me—I wasn't sure were I was exactly.

But Claudia was my heroine; she saw me and my more or less confused face. She had walked with steady measures towards me, and when I finally laid my eyes on her, I couldn't stop a smile. I finally saw someone familiarly in this crowd of obscurity. By her side an unknown man walked with her, holding her hand in his, so there must have been a relationship going on.

"Oria, you look a little lost, do you need some help?" I nodded a little rapidly.

"Yes, I forgot the way back to the palazzo, and I was only supposed to get something for Maria, and look at me now." I tossed a little around with my arm movements so the whole I-don't-know-where-I-am-thing got more effect.

"Calm down, Oria, I will walk with you home." My heroine. Right then, I could give her a kiss of joy, but because of a few things I didn't do it, I don't think the man beside her would have been so happy about that either.

"But I don't want to ruin your date." I looked at the man; he didn't look too pleased about the fact that I would nab his precious Claudia, but she just brushed it off.

"Don't worry, I was about to go home anyway." With that she turned around and kissed the guy goodbye. I didn't listen to what they said. As soon the guy was gone, walking in another direction, she turned to me, smiling and then grabbed my hand and leaded the way.

I could almost feel how eager Claudia was, surely she wanted me to ask about the guy, not that I cared that much, but to make her happy I did it.

"So, can I ask about the guy?" I made a curious face at her, and I could see how she had held the whole thing in.

"He is my fiancé, his name is Duccio. God, I am so lucky, he is everything I dreamed of, and need." I just smiled at her, I knew I wouldn't have to ask about a thing, the girl said the whole thing herself, she was like a storm passing by. She'd talk and talk, and she didn't even need questions to push her on. But it was a warming feeling I had, hearing how happy she was, how much she loved the guy. I really hoped for the girl that it would have a happy ending. You can always dream, I guess.

It was good to be back at the palazzo; it was identifiable and that had me relaxing already. Being out in the city not knowing if you were going the right direction or not was not a pleasant thing. I only looked a little around when I made my way into the palazzo. I was finally beginning to believe that this place was real. I know it sounds stupid, but that was just the way things were in my head.

As I had been told, I walked over to Giovanni' office, knocked gently on the door but I didn't get any kind of response so I opened the door a little and took a peek inside. Nobody was there and I made my way into the room. My shoes made little resounds as I walked in, my steps turned automatically lighter, as if I had done something wrong and was trying not to get attention. Like a child that was about to steal cookies.

When I came to the large, dark desk I placed the little painting and some documents that I had been asked to pick up for Maria. It was here that I suddenly realize the stupid bandage. I hadn't discovered yet what was underneath it. And of course I got the urge to do it right there and now, in the office, and why I did it there? I bloody don't know.

The bandage was a lot harder to get off then I had expected, and I suddenly end with a letter knife in my hand, trying to cut the bandage off. It did succeed, _when_ Giovanni came into his office. I could have scream, run, done something, but instead I just stood there, totally frozen but in the end, I ended with the words: "Hey" and a letter knife in my waving hand.

I could slap myself hard in my face, if it wasn't for Giovanni who sure looked surprise. And there, right there the stupid bandage got cut through, and revealed something I never had thought about.

"What are you doing in here?" Giovanni came closer to me as he asked, but then saw it, saw the burn mark on my forearm.

He suddenly took a hard grip at my arm, took the arm closer to him. I actually got a little shocked by it, but didn't say anything to his behavior.

"W-well, Maria asked me to retrieve some things for you and I just put them on… your desk" My voice faded out as he suddenly looked at me again. He was studying me, like he didn't believe what he saw. The burn mark was formed like a V, with the ends arched out towards the center, and it was an inverted V. But in the middle there was a small round ball with some small patterns.

"How did you get that?" He asked, and I was seriously beginning to get worry and a little terrified about this. I didn't answered, what should I say? I didn't remember anything about my past. I didn't even know what the mark stood for. When he saw my face, my startled eyes, his face got more serene as he became more clam. The hold in my arm softened a little, but he took one more look before letting go of my arm. It was like something wasn't the way it should. I quickly removed my arm to along my side, and made my other hand cover for the burn mark.

"Mi scuso (I apologize) for my behavior." I just shook my head without any sound.

"It's okay, I will just get back to my duties." But before I could do anything Giovanni interrupted me.

"Oria, whatever you do, don't show that mark to anyone you don't trust, understand?" I looked confused, but his gaze wasn't something I could question about. I just nodded and move with heavy, loud feet out from the office. I actually ran up the stairs, going with a fast steady speed towards Petruccio' door – why I went to his room, I do not know, but when I opened the door, looking at the confused but happy boy, my mood got better just by looking at him.

"Oria is there something wrong?" I just shook with my head as I walked over to him, trying to smile a convincing smile, but it wasn't entirely successful. But he didn't begin to dig in it, and just moved on to a new subject – which pleased me quite a bit.

"Oria can you tell me another story?" He begged me deeply with his eyes, they where almost like puppy eyes. Of course I couldn't say no to that, and I just let a soft smile on my lips as answer.

* * *

The sun was setting, leaving only the last few of golden drops on the sky from the soon sleeping sun. Twinkling stars were bright as silver that night, only a few were hiding behind a cloud or two. In the big Auditore palazzo, most people were about to make themselves ready for the heady sleep that lied ahead. In one of the grand rooms, the two proud parents were almost ready.

Maria had just put on her nightgown, now sitting on a little chair behind a small desk with some accessories lying on the table and a mirror standing up against the wall. She was just laying the last of her jewelries back to those small boxes she kept them in for protection. Giovanni had almost just begun to take his clothes of, while Maria had moved and now was sitting on their grand bed.

"The new girl, Oria, sure have an effect on Petruccio, he looks almost as if he is ready to come outside and discover the world." Maria said, looking pleased at her husband, who now turned to look at her.

"Your right, she has a positive effecting on him… but something isn't right about that girl." Giovanni said in wonder, pressing his eyebrows a little tighter. The burn mark had been exactly like the assassin's, but then there was that ball inside the symbol. It could be false but the details were fare to well made, to just simply be a fake.

"You are talking about the mark, aren't you?" Maria interrupted her husband's thought. He looked yet again at her, smiled soft to her. He had told her about it.

"I think you're looking too much into this. Come my love, you are too tired for this now. It has been a long day." Maria held out her hand towards Giovanni, waiting for him to come to bed. Giovanni came closer, took her hand, and learned down to her, letting his lips sealed with hers for a brief moment.

"I think we should promote Oria to be Petruccio storyteller, " Maria said with a joyful voice as she pulled the blanket over her, looking at Giovanni who was about to take the lights life.

"Let's talk about that later." That was Giovanni's last words before he got himself under the blanket to his lovely wife.

* * *

One day took the other, I was finally getting the hang of the most things that had to be done in the palazzo, and now I could remember the whole layout of building, but that you couldn't quite say about the city, so Annetta had made that arrangement that I would go out to do the shopping so I could get the city's layout in my head too. But to make sure that I knew my way around in the city, she had made a little map for me. Where she got the ideas I seriously didn't know - but God I love the most of them. As the days had progressed, my relationship with the little Auditore got better and better. I actually became his storyteller, an entertainer you could call me. I loved that title, and then I didn't need an excuse to actually use my time with Petruccio. You could call him my closest friend, almost a little brother.

Like the day before I was now out in the city, walking through the streets with mass of population, but I was heading away from the market, and there were always a lot of people going there or coming from there at mid-day. My basket was full of vegetables and fruit. We were going to make an apple pie. I guess you always can eat sweets, just thinking about it made my mouth water.

I was wandering in my own thoughts, just on my way home, when I began to hear loud noises from behind. It was like a wake up call. I was only slightly beginning to turn around when it was like a massive air wave collided against me, but I soon had other things to think about. In the next moment I was running not even knowing why or how. But the seized on my wrist did tell my about another presence.

Why wasn't it a surprise to see Ezio?

I almost lost all the food in the basket when we suddenly turned hard right, straight into an ally.

"GOD DAMN EZIO, WHY THE HELL ARE WE RUNNING?" I yelled harshly and then met his brown bright eyes with adrenaline overflowing in them. He had been running for some time now obviously—I could tell; a few sweat drops were drifting lazy down his temples without a care for the world, but he only had a smirk on his face, telling that he was having fun.

"Well bello, use your eyes and you will be able to tell that Vieri de Pazzi and his men really doesn't like me or my family"

"Should I know this Vieri?" I snarled with a frowning face. He didn't look at me, but I could still see some of his face with its childish glow. I took a look behind us, just to regret it a few seconds later. A whole group of men was after us, running theirs lungs out of breath just to catch this playful noble boy.

"And why am I running too?" I asked annoyed but he didn't have to answer that, the other men did it a few seconds after.

"CATCH _them_, don't let them get away!"

Why was I suddenly a target? However, with those words yelled out, my legs began to run along Ezio. He didn't need to drag me anymore, but he was abruptly a lost faster than I had ever imaged him to be. The run in the palazzo didn't even make up for this, I kind of felt cheated.

Luckily for us, the small ally did its trick; the men behind us couldn't filter through in a big group. I was only running a little behind Ezio, so we didn't have problems. But suddenly I felt his strong grip around my torso, and then he more brutally threw me up onto his shoulder. I didn't even have the time to contradict him.

Then he jumped up on a little wagon with a white blanket thrown on it, after that he began to climb. I was shocked, really! My fingers curled in to the fabric of his dark vest with the silver like patterns on. I tried to hide my head in his back to not look down on the men that now tried to follow us.

"EZIO AUDITORE DA FIRENZE, I HATE YOU!" I screamed my lungs out, and hit him in the back as we finally were on the rooftop. He just chuckled a little, but then began to ran, still with me on his shoulder. I was hanging like a bag of potatoes.

"Hey, stop! STOP I said. Let me down NOW!" Fizzling, I saw how I was losing the food, it was all over the place and my mood was serious in a low level now. I hissed and slammed my elbow in the back of his head as to show my dissatisfaction over this situation. I didn't have time for the men that were after us, neither did I hear them now. The anger and irritation was making my ears deaf for other sounds. Ezio coughed a little of pain, when he felt the pain spread in the back of his head.

"Do you want me to drop you?" He asked with a little irritated voice, but only a little.

"NO, I want you to _set_ me down this instant!" I hissed.

"Then they will get you, you know"

"I don't care. I have done nothing wrong other then knowing you that is!"

"Such gratitude. They will rape you if they get you, and then I will have to save you again so, just be quite and let me do the running." This time his voice was more serious, more hard, but of cause he let his sentence end with a little teasing.

"Again? What the hell are you saying? You have never EVER saved me before! And I will never need to be rescued by you. I can handle things myself" I had the right to get angry right? This was no pleasant ride, it was bumpy and my torso was aching from lying on his shoulder.

"I don't doubt that – but please why don't you just enjoy the ride?"

"There is nothing to enjoy, you know!" I snarled, trying to look at his face, but the only thing I could see what his strong, thick neck and a little of his dark brown hair in that little ponytail of his. If it wasn't for the fact that I was hanging on his shoulder, bumping around, then maybe I would had study his body shape some more. Yes, he had a strong, muscular body, and the neck was no exception.

"Don't worry, I know that you didn't mean what you just said" I know he was teasing me, but I was just to caught up in the irritation that I couldn't keep my voice straight from the skeptical and serious tone.

"I meant everything I just said, saying and am going to say!" This time he ignored me, turning his attention to the running,_ still_ with me on his shoulder. I sighed, just laying my head against his back again, hoping that this nightmare would end soon.

The bumpy ride was near its end and then I was finally down from his shoulder, standing on the rooftop which we apparently still were on. Not knowing why left me with a question look at Ezio who just had a warm facial expression. The air was light and cooler up here, it was fresh. It was a great feeling but I had other things to think about. Before I could say anything, he held a finger up in the front of my face to silence me. I closed my mouth slowly, looking wary at him.

"Come with me, I have something to show you" He waved me with him, and I took one step after another closer to him, trying not to fall on the red bricks. But when it was failing he was fast to get a grip at my hand, holding me up. I looked with a little gratitude in my blue eyes. After that he never led go of my hand, as support.

"Where are we going? I need to buy the food again. I really don't have time for this Ezio," I complained in a more soft voice, but he just dragged me with him, not forceful, but still.

"You will get the time to do that, don't worry. If not, I will take the blame for the lost food." Normally I would have said something like "Where did that gentleman speech come from" but this time I was silent, just hoping that whatever he wanted me to see, it would be worth the time. But when I saw where he would take me to, I instantly stopped. I was not in the mood for more climbing.

"Ezio, you got to be kidding me!" I looked at him and then on the big tower which gloated over us and the city. But his face told nothing about how he was kidding or joking. I sighed by the sight. He was serious.

"Come on Bello, I will do the climbing, and you will be the 'bag'." Now he was teasing, calling me a bag, but God I just didn't want to discuss anymore so I surrendered. Soften my face and began to walk closer to the tower.

"I hope you know what you're doing!"

"I always do."

By this time, it was far more pleasant - well as pleasant it could get to be carried over ones shoulder like a bag. Not as bumpy as before, but the bumpy that there was couldn't be avoided. The thing that _wasn't_ pleasant was looking down, seeing how the distance to certain death – which was the ground – grew closer as we came higher. I had sealed my eyes together, not wanting to see how it would end or how the hell we were supposed to come down again.

***  
Wind, cool wind stroked me like a cat in my face, making my messy hair and dress dance in a light manner. The now messy ponytail I normally had was in a totally disorder, I knew it wouldn't make a different, so I pulled the lightly red band out of my hair, leaving it totally to the wind and it's movements.

I must say I was speechless, the scenery was beautiful. Time had gone so fast that the sun was already waving goodbye with a multicolored sky. The clouds was like painted, not white anymore; nothing was colorless. Ezio stood just a slightly behind me, not saying anything, letting me get all the silence I need to take this in.

"Wow!" It just slipped out from my mouth as I stared out in the horizon.

"I know." I only looked a little awry on Ezio. It was like my eyes were captured by the scene so they quickly turned back.

"I certainly didn't expect this," I said, looking at Ezio who now sat down on the roof, placing his arms on his knees.

"Haha, I know, because if you did, you surely wouldn't have screamed so much." Well, he was right. If I had knew this sight would be the surprise, I would certainly not had hesitated one bit. I sat down beside him, letting my hands run down the blue colored dress fabric from my butt to my thighs, to make sure I sat on the dress.

"You know what?" Ezio broke the silence after some time, I saw at him, waiting for him to continue. "You really don't seem too sorry about the memory lost." Okay that was pretty random, but I guess he just hadn't fully understand it, like it was even possible to lose every memory you had endured, experienced, not even knowing about your family, your friends or where you had lived. Those things were a part of you, they made you who you were, and I had just lost every single one of them.

I shrugged slowly, leaned back on my hands and closed my eyes for a bit. I could feel Ezio gaze on me. "Well I don't know about that, but it would be a waste of time to sorrow over something I can't even remember and miss the things that are happening now." I opened my eyes again, looking up at the red colored sky then to look at Ezio. He didn't seem to understand it totally yet though, but I guess time was the only thing that could make him understand.

"I have a question for you," I said while leaning forward as to get a better look at Ezio who now laid down on the bricks, with his arms behind his head, like some sun lion – I guess he was one, with that tainted sun brown skin of his, that sure just made the whole image of him as one hell of a hot guy complete. He looked up at me with that strong gaze of his – it was so devouring, in that small gaze I felt like he took a hold on my entire body. "Why did you take me up here?"

"I thought you would like it." He was right, I did like it, but something wasn't right, I was a mere servant nothing else, so why?

"Then I guess you have taken Annetta up here as well?" He sure looked surprise right now, that was certainly not something he had thought of, and his reaction did reveal that he hadn't. I just shook my head, sighting. "I really don't understand you," I just let out.

"I am the mystery itself" He joked and smiled teasing to me. Of course I smiled back, not going to let that go.

"I would rather say an idiota"

"Ouch, that hurt bello." He grinned and we sat there for a little time, but seeing that time was beginning to fly away to fast, I decided it was time to end this chit chat.

"So now you got us up, alive and all that, how the hell do we get down?" I raised a brow. He chuckled a little with closed eyes, but then just ended with his normal, warm smile – that bantering smile. It got me to shiver inside – he had something in mind that I certainly would regret.

"What a linguistic from such a young signora." I rolled with my eyes, blowing to my bangs that hang in front of my eyes.

"Just answer already" And so he did but not with a voice.

He raised himself up from the bricks, offered me his hand, which I gladly took to get up. But he didn't let go of my hand, pulled me closer, and then began to move over to the edge. I was beginning to panic – You never know what the crazy boy had I mind, but this, this was insane. He took me up like a bride in a fast movement, going out on a little ledge which was more like a stick in my eyes.

"Ezio, what the hell are–." I didn't get to finished that sentence before I found us soar in the air for a brief moment, and then we began to fall down. I gasped, almost digging my nails into his skin, and then my voice ripped the air in a scream but it was dead in a brief moment, strangled in my throat.

The next thing I knew, everything got black, I didn't feel my body, or Ezio. I thought I was dead, but that wasn't quite the thing that was going on…

_"Come on Oria, you can do it, just jump and believe. If I can do the leap of faith so can you…" _

_

* * *

_

**********Can you consider that as a cliffhanger? - not really, right? xD **

**********I hope you enjoy! :D**

**********Please review! :3**

**********Thank you Mismatch-lover for your wonderful help! :DD  
**


	4. A Piece From The Past

**Hey everybody, sorry for the long wait, but I had quite the trouble making this chapter, but it's finally finished! :D **  
**And it's LONG, really long, but hope you like, even true I don't totally like it, sorry, but still, here you go. **

**

* * *

**

A Piece From the Past

My eyes were blurry, incapable of focusing. My head ached slightly, making me grunt a little while I tried to move. To consider that I had a little pain must certainly meant that I was still alive. I blinked. This was so weird. My orientation was completely inoperative, but slowly my senses began to react to my surroundings. A sweet but strong smell was surrounding me; maybe I _was_ dead. I certainly couldn't think of any places that were like this. It was soft, lightly tickling me. And when my eyes finally began to actually work, I was seeing pinkish red, which got me lightly shaking my head. It was flower petals.

It was then I found another thing. I was lying on something big, warm and it slightly comfortable, and something was holding me closer to it. I soon found a small but too charming smile on those smooth lips that could only belong to one person that I knew of. Of course it was him. Ezio was lying beneath me, holding me closer to him. I took a moment to think why exactly it was that I was buried in petals with Ezio, who wasn't saying anything at all, but he did look a little concerned.

"I see that you are awake. Thank goodness. I got worry for a small moment there when you passed out."

My eyes widened a little, but soon became sharper when I figured out where one of his hands was placed.

"Ezio..." I started out in a soft voice with a certainly big fake smile on my lips. He looked a little surprise by the tone of my voice and the smile. "Move your God damn hand from my ass!" I then snarled, hissing the words at him, but certainly showed a little teeth like a cat while I was trying to get out of his hold. But then he suddenly reacted fast, turning us round, making me gasp in the process. I was now lying beneath Ezio. He had a hand over my mouth not letting me speak any words, but what I had not anticipated was that he didn't even look at me, but only slightly over the wagons edge, trying to look out between the petals. I was so surprise over the whole event that I didn't even realize that some of Vieri's men had just walked by, and probably giving this wagon an odd look or two. But to our luck they just passed by, not stopping to investigate. Ezio sighed, letting breath he had held out. But I was nowhere near happy.

I got a leg up between his stomach and mine, making my leg tense a little, getting ready to use some of my strength, and then I kicked him away. He flew back out the petals with a surprised and surely shocked face. I would have loved to see it, but at that moment I was pissed. He had just grabbed my butt, lying over me, and made us fall from a tower.

I sat straight up in an instant, met by the orange sky, no people aside from Ezio and me, and I looked with an angry face and a deep frown at Ezio who sat up against the end of the wagon looking at me with some slightly surprised eyes. I guess that was his first time being thrown away by a girl.

"You IDIOTA! What the hell were you thinking? You just jumped out from a tower? Did you think you could fly or what? Well, sorry to break it to you, but you can't!" I yelled, still in shock over the suddenly 'lets-fly!' attempt, and I soon found my hands trembling. I had been so shocked that I didn't even notice it before. My fingers were curled hard against each other, with strangled petals inside; the tension made my knuckles go white.

"Clam down Oria, I knew what I was doing, nothing to be so hysterical over," Ezio simply said, making my blood boil.

"Don't you dare say that, or I am going to hurt your third leg!" I warned angry, and I think he got the message. But before I knew it, tears were dripping from my eyes, and slid slowly along my cheeks. He looked shocked but he wasn't the only one; I was too. I dried the tears viciously away, not even knowing why the few tears had gotten through the blockade I had so carefully put up. I hadn't even felt the tears prepare to fall down.

"Agh, this is so messed up!" I threw myself resignedly backwards, landing on the mountain of petals but not falling through them.

"Hey, are you okay? I am really sorry if I got you that scared by doing it." I looked a little at Ezio, but his voice sounded so hurt, so terribly hurt, and his dark hazel eyes didn't contradicted it.

I smiled a little, but it was more of a reassuring smirk, then shook my head lightly.  
"No, don't worry, I'm fine – I don't even know what the hell got into me." He didn't understand it, I could tell, but I wasn't in the mood to explain it; I couldn't even explain it to myself. But then he jumped out of the wagon and held a hand towards me. I raised a brow a little, but just sighed at his telling face, took the hand and got out of the wagon with his help.

We had petals all over us, and we silently began to brush the pink off each other. I especially had a lot in my hair, which surely looked like a messy nest. I had lost the basket, the food and was about to go empty-handed home.

Wha_t_ a _great_ day.

Actually, that wasn't entirely true: I had gotten to see the most amazing scene I could ever image or remember.

I looked up at the tower where we just had been, and something was poking inside my head, but I didn't knew what. There was something I was missing, something that had happened just now, I had heard something, someone…

"Ezio, that jump you just made...does it have a name?" I knew that couldn't be just a normal jump-not with that somersault he had made (which was quite good considering that he had me in his embrace). He looked surprised by my question but just shrugged at it, he answered me when he could see that I was asking seriously.

"Well, Federico calls it Leap of Faith."

I froze by the name, and then it was like I got hit in the face. A child. I was certain. something in my head had been triggered to let this sentence get out in my head. A child had said a sentence with that name in it when he had jumped. The child had called for me, wanting me to make that jump. That must have been from my past.

Ezio just stared at me blankly, like he didn't understand why I had asked and why I was suddenly so lost in my thoughts, but he was looking like he was beginning to get used to it. He didn't ask about my sudden turn of facial expression. Again, I looked up at the tower, totally in my own thoughts.

"Is this where I am supposed to ask or just leave you be?" I got ripped from my thoughts, staring at him like I had to divert my thoughts to the present.

"I-I guess that jump isn't that normal?" It was quite a surprise for him to see how swallowed I was about this jump, especially when I had been so mad about it just a few seconds ago.

"No it is not. But why are you asking me all of this so suddenly?" My eyes weren't upon him anymore; again, I was wandering in my own thoughts. If that jump wasn't normal, then maybe I shouldn't say anything about the sudden memory that had appeared. Giovanni's reaction the days before had me hesitating. You never know what a hidden past could hide, and until now, a lot of unusual things had happened to me.

Blood, bruises, daggers, knives, odd clothes… that reminded me of something.

"Oria? Hello? I am asking you something here?" Ezio waved a hand in front of my face, got me to quickly look at him where I got caught by his eyes, and there they stayed, captured, unable to break free.

"Nothing, I just have my mind full – nothing to worry about. We should get back now," I said quickly, not too convincing. He just stood there, looking like he tasted my explanation, but he didn't look too pleased.

"Hmm, if you say so, but don't think I'm convinced." A soft smile went to my lips as I saw how he was assessing me for at short moment but then let it go, beginning to walk the way back home.

We both knew it would be a waste of time to go to the marketplace so we just headed straight home. It was getting chilly as the night crept closer, making the shadows filled with mystery and unseen things. But luckily, it wasn't so dark that no people were around or the last sun rays over the sky were gone, but they were surely the last for this day. As we walked, I secretly looked at Ezio, surprisingly finding his eyes lighter, honey brown with a little twist of gold in them. That couldn't be normal, but I didn't say anything, just took my eyes back to myself, looking straight ahead once again.

* * *

Two days had passed since Ezio and I had been on that little trip to the tower, running like idiots and losing all the food. Annetta had been over me the minute we had step inside the palazzo, attacking with questions about where I had been, why I didn't had the food, and what I was doing with the young Ser Ezio. Of course it was all friendly, but by that time I was getting tired, saying that I would tell her the next day. Well it was a failing attempt, while Ezio just smirked at me going to his room I had to explain every little detail about why I had been so long to get some few ingredients.

That evening, the bag had come in mind. It was still under my bed, and still with sharp tools in it. Maybe I should look at them, and then decide later what to do with them, if they really were mine, then they probably hold a bigger meaning to them. Not that I thought that I would need them again, but something inconclusive had filled my mouth with a bad, dry taste and my stomach to tighten by the thought. But I never really got the chance to do it that evening, for I was too tired.

I was with a free smile almost dancing around in the streets the day that the excitement level sky-rocketed. The weather was warm, sunny and just looked so bright. Nothing could possible go wrong on a day such as this. So, in my own thoughts, I walked, looking at all the items there was in the stands. The air was overflowing with voices, each with its own thing to tell. One salesman after another trying to sell their things to the bypassing people. This was Florence alright. A living city would be a good way to describe this place.

While looking at some long beautiful fabric in a stand, I began to hear some dark, deep voices; obviously men. They were talking a little too loud, which meant I could clearly hear every word that they said, and for every word I heard, I became irritated and angry.

"The Auditores are nothing than big fat cowards that only know how to swim in money and puttane (whores)." After making a sign to the salesman that I wouldn't be buying anything, I made my way over to the men. Not really knowing why I did so, I was soon close enough to them that I could touch one of them if I reached out to him. People had past them with a big circle around them, not really wanting to get to close. The men weren't weak in anyway; they were actually kind of tough looking and rough. They obviously meant no good, but that didn't stop me from approaching them.

"Excuse me, could you say that again?" The man turned around, looking confused at me, a little girl compared to him. They all turned, but they probably hadn't thought that a girl would actually ask them of something, and not even with the slightest hint of fear. A strong odor of beer, sweat and something I didn't want to know hung around them, and it tore into my nostrils. It was almost enough to make me flinch away, but I stood my ground. The man looked back to his friends, then to me, not really knowing what to do about this sudden young woman stand before him.

"I guess for such men without any kind of honor, like yourself, it wouldn't be that hard, would it now?" The faces of the men suddenly turned to stone, like they couldn't believe their own ears, but then they got angry by the insult that had just been thrown at them.

"Why you little puttana (whore), how dare you say such insulting things!" The man looked like he was about to hit me, standing threateningly before me, ready to slam that bear hand of his into a swing with my head as it goal. I would for sure be lying on the ground in a minute if I didn't get my ass moving from the spot I was standing.

Then the hand was flying through the air like a spear, but not with that much speed and sharpness, but enough to make my body react on its own. It was like my surroundings got blurry for a moment, and then everything happened so fast.

With a quick motion I stopped his whistling hand with my forearm. I pushed his arm away, spinning around, getting closer to this smell of hell, and hammered an elbow in his stomach. He bowed a bit forward, but didn't seem to suffer of pain. It was like it was natural for me. I turned around and smashed a knee in his chest. That most certainly hurt! And it did; the guy lost all the air in his lungs, getting a little red in his cheeks, and I just stood there in a sudden shock. I couldn't believe what just had happened. I was sure that whatever I had just done, I couldn't do it again. I felt a little breathless, my chest moving up and down in tired movements.

"You bitch! I am going to rape you then kill you!" I was surprised by his eruption and slammed my basket over his head, making him fall on the ground in agony. It actually wasn't on purpose, but they wouldn't stand down and hear a little girl's crazy explanation on how her body just suddenly had moved by itself.

"I'm sorry?" I let out, trying to look sorry plus biting a little on my lip, but the men obviously weren't going to let a girl like me, humiliating them and then get away with it. Time to run like hell.

_Run, run little lamb or the big bad wolf will get you. _

This had been such a great day; why did it have to end like this? So I was running, running with a big group of angry men that could be called a herd of bulls, knocking all the people that came in their way onto the ground, leaving a long trail of scared people. That fact simply made me angrier and a little thought began to sprout in my head: how I should stop running and kick their asses. But when my eyes laid upon them, that idea crumpled almost immediately. They were so much bigger and angrier than before when I had given their friend a little friendly clap. I hadn't even known how I had done that, so stopping and kicking their asses was just not an option.

"GET HER! DON'T LET THAT PUTTANA GET AWAY! WE SHALL MAKE HER SORRY FOR WHAT SHE DID!" Damn, but I was already sorry for what I have done, wasn't that enough? Apparently not. I tried to get away, running into big formation of people, but they had to suffer for the men's brutal behavior, getting thrown on the ground, just like before. I needed a savor, a real one and not some twit. My thoughts got over to a certain young man, making me shook with my head. _"Don't you even dare to say his name out loud!"_ I threatened myself mentally, biting a little harder on my lip.

"Excuse me, coming through, excuse me" I yelled while I pushed people out of the way, nearly getting caught by one of the men behind me, when a wagon got in between me and the man. I looked behind to see how far they where. Well I can say, they weren't far enough.

People and buildings were like a big giant, fast blur; just something I had to run along with, not stopping by any means, but even that I couldn't succeed in, because then, due to me being quite gauche, it usually ended up with me and another person toppled on the dusty stoned ground. My eyes shut as we fell, I didn't even look at the person I had knocked over before I looked behind me. They were getting too close.

"Well this is a surprise! Hello Oria. How nice of you to say hi." I blinked, surprised, but then shocked.

"Federico? I am so sorry if I had known -" He chuckled a little, getting up on his elbows.

"Then what? You would have run around me instead?" What was I saying? I felt pretty stupid now, but the thing was I just didn't have the time for this. I still had those stupid bulls after me. I didn't answer I just got off him, brushed a little of the dust off him, not noticing the people that stared at us, but then my heart suddenly felt like it was all the way up in my throat when I heard the men yelling again not too far away.

Federico glanced at them and then down to me with a raised brow."Friends of yours?" I shook my head vigorously, more than ready to run away, but I didn't just yet. "Well, they don't look too friendly. Do I even dare to ask why they are running after you?" I swallowed and then glanced briefly at him and started to talked with a little shaken voice from all the running and the adrenaline.

"I am pretty sure you wouldn't believe me, even if I told you, but I can tell you that they insulted the Auditore family and then I burst into the conversation, and now I'm running like hell."

Abruptly his face grew more taut, tightening at my words, but he didn't say anything. He took a hold of my upper arm, and then began to walk away from the place. I was a little surprise but just followed, happy to get away from the men, who had been just to close for comfort. As we walked he sped more and more, and soon I found us running down the Florence streets. He had let my arm go when he had seen that I could keep up the pace.

"So where are we running to?" I asked following Federico who just smiled at me when he looked back at me, ready to pull me along if it was necessary, which it really wasn't.

"Just a little place with not that many people around" I could clearly see what he had in mind. Why was it that I got into theses situation? Sometimes I thought it was punishment from something I had done but had forgotten about.

"You are not thinking about beating them, are you?" I run up along his side, looking a little sternly at him, waiting for that too well-known answered. He didn't say anything – his face said it all.

But he was right; as we ran, fewer and fewer people were around and soon the only noises I could hear was from the men behind us, but some of them had given up, simply not in shape to run so fast for so long—now there where only four men after us, all with red heads and almost dotted lungs. Then, Federico suddenly stopped, and I had to force my sore into the ground just to stop myself. I ended a little longer than him, I looked bewildered at him, not so sure what he suddenly wanted.

"Federico, you are not going to do what I think you are going to do!" He just smirked, the only answered I needed to understand, that he was going to do the very thing I hoped not to happen. Maybe as a punishment for saying things about his family, but that was more Ezio's thing then Federico's. Or so I had thought.

The men looked pleased that we finally had made a stop. Sweat was running down their faces, not making them any prettier than they already were before. I was still standing a little behind Federico, and I was still not all that crazy about the whole idea stop-and-face-the-bulls, but neither would I be a coward, so of course I stood my stand, waiting to see what would happen now.

"Give us the puttana and we will spare that girly face of yours." Girly? They sure hadn't seen a girl if they meant that Federico looked like a girl. I frowned a little by that. God, these were stupido men.

Federico, on the other hand, just smirked a little at them while taking a step towards them with an attitude they didn't understand. They looked cautiously at each other, as if they suddenly became nervous over some unknown danger.

"My apologies, but I can't do that. What kind of gentleman would I be then? Letting such a bello into hands of beasts wouldn't be fair, would it now?" Hoping that Federico knew what he was doing was the only thing I could do for now, but of course being more than ready to run like the wind if necessary.

"You piece of shit" One of them suddenly screamed and then they all were running like idiots towards us.

"I sure hope you can fight, because I am not going to save your sorry ass!" I said in a serious tone while looking at Federico who just looked pleased, like he had been bored and finally received some entertainment. "Don't worry. I can take care of my sorry ass more than just fine, thank you for your sweet concern." I just rolled with my eyes and sighed a little. He was Ezio's brother alright. Next the four men were over Federico, and I was just biting my lip, making some weird movements with my arms, not really knowing what to do, but I must say, Federico sure could fight.

There was something about his movements that made me stare in wonderment. They were dangerous, unpredictable and fast. Not something that I had seen before, and I was quite taken by it. He had already taken two out with his unbelievable speed, and they were now lying on the ground, unconscious. One of the men abruptly remembered me and changed his target on me instead. He lashed out at me with a fist, and I managed to duck at the right time, the swift sound from the rushing swing played over my head. That was too close, and he wasn't finished with his dance of blows, he tried over and over again to hit me, and I was just really lucky that the guy was tired from all the running, or else I would already be lying on the ground with a bloody nose, knocked out from the battle.

Then I felt how the brick of the house behind me suddenly ceased me. I was dead meat. And like most damsels in distress, my eyes shut together in a strong hold, not wanting to see when the hand would penalize its target. I felt how my body squashed itself up against the wall in an attempt to disappear, not wanting to feel the pain to come.

But it never came. Instead I could hear loud painful husky groans. I gently open my eyes, just to see a big shadow in front of me, holding the man in a strong, twisted hold, and soon flung the man against the ground. He whined when he hit the ground, looking with a glare that pleaded for mercy.

"Incazzare (Piss off)." The words were dark, coming from a seriously pissed of...wait, that wasn't Federico's voice. I blinked a little, seeing that Federico was standing a little farther away. Wait that couldn't be –

"Ezio, you came as called!" Federico said with a fresh, happy voice and an Auditore smile on his lips. I was just stunned and not really in the believer-mode. This was weird.

"Well, I saw you two run like crazy, so I decided you could surely use a helping hand." Federico was now holding a hand on Ezio shoulder, while making a brotherly pat, they grinned a little and exchanged smiles. "But it doesn't look like you, running away and get into fights, but I can see you have Oria with you, so I guess it makes more sense" Ezio teased while glancing at me with that all too well known smirk of his.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" I glared at him with my eyes narrowed. He rolled with his eyes a little with a smile spread on his lips. "Well, if I'm not wrong, it was your problem to start with, and then Federico got into it; seeing a damsel in distress, he couldn't possible say no." Well, he was right, but that didn't make me feel any happier about it.

"Well excuse me for beating some sorry ass that was even was saying shitty things about your family!" I defended myself as we began to walk out on a bigger street with big population of people. Ezio looked stupefied at me, not really believing what I had just said.

"Then why didn't you kick the last man's ass? And you shouldn't play with guys bigger then yourself." I went mute by that, not something I had expected from him. Federico just chuckled a little by my surprised face, but he did looked a little interested.

"Well, I didn't know how I did it, I just did it – and what do you mean? How come you suddenly became my mother?" A questionable but still teasing brow raised itself on my forehead while my glance was a bit foxed.

"Haha, don't tease mother-Ezio, he must be exhausted" Federico said with a big teeth filled smile, while he tugging Ezio's hair, making it a tousled and stick out in all directions. Ezio pushed his hand away, trying to save his hairstyle with an exasperated grimace on his face.

"Stai zitto (shut up)" Ezio said, clearly annoyed.

I chuckled a little and looked at the two brothers with smiling soft eyes. They didn't seem to care that I was present and just continued their teasing playing with each other. I was fine by that. It was actually fun to watch the two brothers in their own play full world. But that only lasted for a little while, because suddenly a young boy ran over to us, looking with large eyes, as if he didn't believe his own eyes.

"Signora, I have been looking for you everywhere" I got a little wondering, I glared a little on the two brothers as if they would give me the hint to why this young, small boy had been looking for me. They were silent, waiting, and I just looked with a questionable look at the boy. He breathed a little loud, then finally giving the reason to why he had wanting to find me.

"Your horse is still in my masters stables, and he was wondering when you would come and pick up your horse."

Oh, so I had a horse? That one was new. I looked a little on the boys standing at my side, not really knowing what to do, but I decided that I should get going to this stable. But Federico got ahead of me.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's get going then," Federico said, taking my arm in his, making a gesture to the boy to show the way. Ezio just shrugged when I looked back at him, and then we began our way to the stable. I didn't pull my arm to me but just followed along. He seemed warmer than before, the small battle had put a little influenced on him, but not so much as a drop of sweat had ventured on him.

I must say, I was in shock when we were at our destinations and standing outside the stable. I felt like the whole building could fall down any minute, not because it was badly built, no, but because of the big noise of strong hits that were falling against the walls, and when the wall would give into the tremors the hits made.

"I am glad to see that you are here, I guess you're here to get your mare back?" The stable owner said. He sure looked happy to see me, but I was just in a totally addled state. "She has been giving us a lot of trouble. At first she was easy, nothing wrong, but then suddenly she became the devil itself." The older man said while giving one of the younger stable boys a sign to get the horse. He looked like he was about to die, but nevertheless, he did as he was told. I couldn't see what was going on in the dark stable. Through we were standing not that far away from the big door to all the horses. We could hear curses, noises and the stroke of hooves tramping on the floor as a wild dance. They were wild and untamed, nothing inside that stable was silence or peaceful. I looked a little uncertainly at Federico and Ezio, who didn't knew what to say or meaning about this. This was something none of us had expected.

It sounded dangerous and I got more and more nervous to see this horse they proclaimed mine. "È stupido cavallo (You stupid hose)!" a curse came from the stable, and then it was like hell broke loose. It was like thunder came closer and closer and we knew something wasn't right.

Then emergent, Federico pulled me out of the way and Ezio reacted just as fast. The half closed door to the stable got slammed up in a loud bang, and a big black shadow ran in front of us in a viciousness gallop. Fiery whinny surrounded us in their intensive tones, as the hooves danced over the dried ground, making cloud of dust whirled around. She kicked and screamed as she danced across the ground, not wanting to stand still, getting captured again. She was black as a sky of night, but with a white bliss making its way down her head. The mare ran a little around, getting farther and farther away from us, just to turn around, in the direction where we were standing. She was bucking and trampling hard on the ground. She reared and threw her head sideways, protesting in her own angry way.

"Marco, get that horse!" The stable owner hissed, making the young boy from before running over to the horse, who yet again reared and kicked with her forelegs towards the boy. He was almost getting hit, and I got angry that the man would send a boy over to a horse that could kill him if it wanted to. I wasn't the only one with that thought, but they didn't get the chance to react before me.

"ORIA!" They both yelled at once, trying to get me to stop, but I ran over to the boy, who was inches to get threading hooves in his head and certainly getting himself badly hurt if not killed. The boy froze, as if he became suddenly stuck to the ground beneath him, sudden became scared of this black mare, who only wanted to show that she wasn't going inside that stable until she had done something unknown.

I pulled just in time to get the boy out of the way. He shrank back a little, but I got him behind me. Trying to be a shield from the horse, who didn't do anything after that, only making some angry steps back and forth but then slowed down a little, getting herself a little under control.

Well I hoped that, but she then again reared before me, as if trying to show how strong and powerful she was and I shouldn't think that she couldn't beat me. But then I got stubborn, frowned a little, and made a little step towards her, raising my voice.

"Easy now girl, calm down. Shh, it's all right." Still with her head held high she got herself onto the ground, carefully trying to look at me, as if she was trying to believe that it was really me, if I really was trustworthy. Her head was still held high, ready to kick and rear if necessary, looking down upon me.

But after she had assessed me a little she began to let her black head lowered more and more, suddenly so calm as if she never had been heated up. Her nostrils breathe calmly and deeply out, making her body move along with the rhythm and then she came closer, as if she had remembered me in her state of calmness. I hold a hand out towards her, along her nasal bridge but I didn't touch her. She came to me, making my hand feel her warm skin. I took a long look in her deep hazel brown eyes, they had been so wild, filled with white, but now only as brown as the fruity soil.

"Hey girl, you are a temperate one, huh?" I whispered in tranquil, getting a little closer to her and scratched her a little on her big round furry cheek. I couldn't help but smile. She was beautiful and suddenly like a totally other horse than before. My eyes had a warm, soft glow as I assessed her. She was black, with a white bliss, some black stripes in her already dark mane and then two socks, one on her foreleg and the other on one of her hind leg. She had a well muscled body, but with long slender legs.

"I must say, that is one hell of a horse you got yourself there." I looked back at Federico who had taken the first lead to the intention to break the astonished silence there had been since I had taken action. The stable boy had already run to some safety, not wanting to get close to that animal any time soon.

I smiled a little, I wasn't afraid of the mare considered her little performance before. There was something familiar by her, so maybe she actually was my horse.

"I know. And here I thought I was all alone in this world, but I guess I still have something from my past left." I said while smiling, and the mare began to nodded eagerly, and a little rough, but still kind hearted. She made me chuckle a little under my breath.

"Yes, she was like that at first; calm and sweet, but still a little careful, not giving us much trust. But then some days after you had left her here, she became wild and tempestuous, the stable boys got quite their hands full with that mare. She has ruined a lot of my horse stalls too." That didn't sounded so good, and I ended up biting a little on my lip, looking a little questionable at Federico and Ezio, as to ask what to do.

"How long has this mare been here?" Ezio spoke and I got another thing to think about; the payment. This would surely cost me everything I had earned so far.

"For almost a month now, and with the damage that mare have done, it's going to be expensive." Of course. Now I liked this horse less and I guess she could feel it, because she was suddenly really kind and touchy, rubbing her head up against me. I had to take a step or two back just to gain my balance again.

"Don't worry Oria, we will come up with something, I will talk with the stable owner," Federico said assurance, smiling a little and then getting himself into a conversation with the old man. I nodded only for a bit, feeling like a child, but then the mare required my attention.

* * *

Ezio had his eyes laid on the girl who suddenly looked like she was captivated by the horse, not having the slightest time for the world around them. Her eyes was like mesmerized by the mare, she was looking like she was in a totally other world, a world that nobody other than her could get into. She was petting the horse, that weird horse which had been so tempered one minute ago, and now was like a little lamb. He had never seen anything quite like that.

He abruptly felt like he had to pull Oria back into his world again, but when standing beside her, he heard a low, whispering, but far away voice from her. He frowned a little. She wasn't even paying attention to him, and the thing she had been saying wasn't making any sense, he could almost nothing hear of it.

"Oria? Hello?" He said in his low dark voice, trying to get her attention. The mare snorted at him, laying her ears back a little, he had a feeling that the horse certainly didn't like him that much, but then Oria came back to herself again, but seeing something that wasn't expected so close, got her to almost jump in the air, then seeing bewildered around.

"Ezio?" She said surprised. He had gotten a little shock by her sudden reaction, but had got his composure quickly back.

"Seriously Oria, you are freaking me out now, you where totally in your own little lala-land, you know! What were you thinking about?" He asked, knocking her a little on her head, as to show her, that her head had been as if it was empty.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about" The girl busted out, a little uncertain about something he didn't quite understand, but he could feel and see that it was something she wanted him to let be, so he did, although he was beginning to die of curiosity inside. Oria was starting to be a little too secretive for him, but maybe it wasn't actually something he was supposed to reading too much into.

* * *

"So, do you have a name for her?" Ezio asked. At first I didn't understand what he meant but then the mare pushed me a little, making me understand it was meant for her. It was strange and a bit intimidating, but when I had seen into this mare eyes again, it was like she had captured my whole being, and for a second, I felt like I was in a totally other place. Dimmed sounds had rang in my head, not making themselves clear enough to be understand, but a name had been the only thing I had could get through. Scura. Her name was Scura, I was sure about that.

"Yes, I think I do actually. Her name is Scura"

Scura sudden lifting her head high and began to nod as in I was correct. I didn't say anything to her behavior, but this meant that some of my memories were coming back, although it was a little and faint, there was something there, ready to get known again.

"Scura? Like in "dark"?" I nodded. Scura indeed meant dark in Italian. It fit her pretty well actually, with that dark fur of hers. Our little conversation got interrupted by Federico who came walking with a face that didn't said trouble, but more like a good settlement had been made.

"Things should be alright now. I have made the deal with the stable owner that you can pay him off a little by time, and your mare can stand in our families stable, we still got some stalls empty, so I am sure you can keep her there for now." I almost jumped of happiness, glad how the outcome came out, and I actually had a stall to put Scura in.

"Thank you so much! How can I ever repay you for your kindness?" I asked humbled but he just shook his head, like it was nothing.

"Don't think about it, I am glad to help." Ezio just smirked a little mischievous at his brother, but I didn't pay attention to that. I went my aid yet again to Scura, patting her a little eagerly with a satisfied smile.

"I'm sure you are," Ezio teased Federico behind me, which got me to chuckle a little, but I just pretended as if I didn't hear them.

"Well, let's get going to that stable of yours" I said while turning around just to see the two brothers in a little finger fight against each other. I sighed a little. They were pretty childish. But they just send me a long innocent look at me, as I raised my brown at them. They were indeed brothers.

After I had giving the first payment to the owner of the stables, getting Scuras things, which was a lot actually, we made our way to the Auditore stable Federico had talked about.

"So, do you ride?" I asked. I had the calm Scura a little behind me in a rope. Her hooves hit the ground in a pleasant, relaxing pace as we were walking outside from the city, to her new home. She snorted occasionally, shook a little with her neck, but otherwise she just went at her own pace which was perfect with ours.

"Yes, sometimes we do in fact. Our father wanted us to know how to ride, which is a pretty good thing in our country." Federico answered. He was walking in the middle. I was at his right and Ezio at his left. "I see. Hmm, I guess I can ride too, but I can't remember how..." I felt Federico's hand on my shoulder for a short moment before I looked at him, saw how he had that naturally and calm expression, as if everything would be alright.

"Well, we can teach you, or, try to make you remember again, right Ezio?" Federico then turned to the silent Ezio, who hadn't said much on our little trip. Which felt a little off, I must say. But when I looked at him, he didn't look like something was wrong or off, so I was probably just over thinking.

"Of course we can. Oria, when do you have your next day off?" I turned to my own thoughts for a moment to think, but quickly remembered.

"Actually tomorrow"

"Great, then let's take you for a ride tomorrow. Then you can also find out what that mare of yours actually can do." I looked a little at Scura, who suddenly looked really pleased by this deal, I smiled at her and then put my attention onto the boys who both was looking at me.

"Bene. That's a deal."

* * *

**And that's chapter 4 for you :D **

**Please review! :3 That would make me really happy! **

**Don't worry, Ezio will soon be a fearful Assassin ;) *or, maybe not that fearful at first.***

**Chapter 5 will hopefully come soon! **


	5. Run little friend

**SO SORRY for the long wait - Actually this chapter has been finished for quite some time, but my beloved beta-reader had a lot of things going on, so, well, it's alright ^^  
Chapter 5 after a long wait, hope you enjoy, and then I have a little something I want to share with you guys! :D **

**For, yeah, quite some time ago, I made this: .com/watch?v=_dzDpiaQmRg&feature=channel_video_title  
This is a little fan-teaser/trailer for my Fanfiction, and I really hope you would take a look at it and I hope you like :D *If the link doesn't show, then go to my profile and you can find the link there) - responds would be most welcome :D**

**No more chatter from me. Time for the next chapter! :D ENJOY!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Run little friend**

It was unbelievable that I had been there for so long; almost a month, but it made sense. In that time, Annetta had taught me many great things; how to cook, sew, getting a clearer look at what condition things were in; what you should buy and what you really shouldn't; and how to clean things faster if you were in need of time. And now I would have my riding skills refreshed; of course those I should have since I had a horse – if not, then I would learn.

I was excited and a bit anxious to try it, but I knew that the first hurdle would be to get through the night so that the day would come. Federico had spoken to Giovanni about Scura, and nothing had been an issue. I owed that man so much and I had to seriously think of something so that I could give a little of all the kindness back.

We had finally returned to the palazzo after a long day. I was tired and a little headache had started to come into power as we returned home. No questions were asked as we arrived home and I revieced the so-wanted peace.

I had thrown my shoes on the floor, and was now sitting on my bed with my hands along my sides, resting on the soft fabric of the bed. On the nightstand were my former clothes, folded neatly, and on the floor stood my old boots. Curiosity welled up a bit inside of me as I looked at them. I stretched out for them since they were within my reach. The white shirt was utmost normal, nothing there, but the cardigan was something else. With its black fabric and the extremely detailed gold embroidery, it was surely in the high-end of quality—I was not a second in doubt about that fact. It was incredibly soft, delicate, and my scent lingered in the fabric, but this smell was a tad different. There was an extremely faint trace of wild flowers, but I was not sure. I saw one last time on it with a gaze that practically begged for something from my past, but nothing sprang to my mind. A bit disappointing, I must say. It was made for a woman, every single bit of these clothes were so it wasn't something I had stolen, or at least I didn't think so.

I glared out of the window that showed in front of me. The sun's golden rays streamed in, since my room was a corner room, my windows was against West and East. As they say, the sun sets in the west, rises in the east, and I had a beautiful view for both events.

I could see the tiny dust particles that were dancing in the bright orange rays, it looked so graceful. For a moment I fell into a reverie as I followed the figure of the dancing speckles. However, reality broke in and caught my awareness. Annetta called, it was time to make the daily dinner. I dropped the cardigan gently onto the bed, got up, put my boots on, and made my way out of my room and into the kitchen to help.

_Flames, high voracious flames stood like demons and swallowed everything they touched. Screams lingered in the night's black-blue surface, but it was still so quiet. Colors were mixed together; they had to pretend something, but they were just a big blurry mass. The earth knotted under her feet; it was as if it complained and cried over the pain which happened on its surface, but it remained dead silent. So many sounds were missing, but actually still there. Some simple houses took shape only to be wiped out by the grayish smoke shortly after. An enticingly whisper broke through the nerve-wracking silence, which nonetheless was so opposite of silence, screams and cries, it was as if they were just below the facade, trying to break loose. _

_Her bare feet continued over the dead and fried earth, only a little white Nightdress covered her slender body. The whispers went on, and it was as if the smoke could draw enticingly hands in front of her. Then for the first time, she saw a figure in the grayish smoke, which was beginning to sting in her eyes, making them a little watery. _

_She slightly tilted her head to get a better look at the person, she narrowed her eyes, tried her best to see and it worked as she came closer. A person with their back turned and lightly flowing hair stood one meter ahead. It was certainly a woman._

_The body reacted by a shock when she felt something grab her, grabbed her around her ankles then the white dress. She looked frightenly down, her eyes widened as her eyes fell upon the figure of the black, burned hands, which clung to her. They came up from the ground, but they were more shadowy than anything else. They left black, ash traces on her and she tried immediately to break free. She only ended up with a few steps back and then heard how the whispering voice again did it's enticingly walk through the heavy air, but this time it was angry and reproachfully. _

_"Why? Why did YOU KILL ME?" It howled, and she felt as if a gale had hit her. She lost every bit of air that had been in her lungs. She bowed with agony, with fear grasping into her every bone. She gasped for air; getting only a little, she torn off the dark hands, fell on the ash-like soil. _

_She crawled, reversing back with fear stabbed in her dark blue eyes. Tears began to tear themselves away, razed down along her cheeks. She never got to see the face of the woman which was about to turn towards her, as the black hands stopped her flight. The hands were devouring her, holding her to the ground. The blood ran down along her skin as the nails burrowed into her skin. She screamed, but the scream was dead, like all other sounds... _

She sat up in a rush, shaking with fear, tears running down her cheeks along with cold sweat drops. Her eyes reflected her panicked, and they fled to every corner of the room as if to check if it all was true. To her luck, it had been simply a nightmare. She gasped heavily after her breaths, still not relaxed enough to let her head and eyes be in the same line. Her jaw quivered briefly as she founded out her blanket had been kicked off of her, hanging halfway off of the bed. She was too strained to think about the matter, and she quickly breathed out again, getting control over her panicked body.

She let her arms embrace her, hugging herself, almost digging the nails into her skin, where the hands had been. It had been far too realistic for her tastes. After rubbing her hands a bit on her arms, she let them continue to run through her hair, removed some of it from her weary eyes. She closed them gently, hesitantly. Her hands had encountered on the long path of the salty tears and dry them appalling away from her skin.

Her skin had been covered in a film of moisture, but it quickly began to disappear as time moved on. She only looked out the window for a few seconds; the night was still as dark as ever, and the nightmare filled her thoughts once again, making her regret the decision to look outside, they were only a few stars on the sky that night.

* * *

That night I didn't sleep much and when the sleep finally had its grip on me, it was already too late—or rather, too early—I had to get up and make the last few things before the riding lesson. For a few minutes, I was thinking what would be best: the dress I normally wore, or my clothes from before. It did seem more practical to wear pants than a dress. I stood somewhat speculatively, but I decided to go for the pants and the shirt. The cardigan wasn't needed since it had been a pretty warm week, though we were in December, not that it looked that warm either, but I didn't need such a fine cloth on me.

Instead of the boots I had gotten from Annetta, I decided that my other long boots would be better for this, without the bigger sole, it hopefully wouldn't do any trouble.

* * *

I was determined to be the first to leave the house that morning, but I knew Annetta would already be up. When I jogged down the stairs, I was surprised to see Giovanni arrive. He looked surprised at me, since he probably didn't think I would be up by at this hour, since it was my day off. I quickly stopped. We remained quiet, but Giovanni decided to make his entry short and slipped quickly into his office, closing the door. I followed him briefly with just my gaze, but shook my head a little then continued down the stairs. Before I went out the door, I quickly said goodbye to Annetta, then I disappeared into the early morning where the mist was still lingering to the ground. There weren't many people, but the usual sellers were starting to open their small stands. They didn't give me many glances as I trudged off in a fresh trot.

There was only one stable boy when I arrived to the stable. We only nodded a little to each other as a friendly gesture. I could hear welcome neighing as I entered the barn; Scura had already discovered me, and now stood with her head out of the bay and watched me come closer. I smiled reassuringly to her as I laid a hand on her muzzle, and scratched her slightly on her pan with the other hand. She closed her eyes, enjoying and made a low humming noise. After opening the door to her bay, I walked in, not feeling that I should be afraid of this animal, who was so calm. I let one hand follow along her strong neck, feeling how soft her fur was and how comfortable it was. But I ended soon with her head in my hands again, not wanting to let me get so easily off.

"I see that you're in a good mood today. Slept well?" I said in a low voice, my words did sound content. "Well good for you, I can't quite say the same through" She looked as if she didn't understand and moved a little with her head. But I didn't say more, just felt how a rueful smile took shape on my lips. Thoughts about the nightmare made me feel ill. I felt as if the hands began to crawl over my skin again. It had me to trembling slightly, but Scura wouldn't let the heavy thoughts be in my head. She was quick to direct my attention to her instead. I looked gratefully at her, then let my back rest at the bay's wall and then slid slowly down to the ground covered by straws. I didn't understand that dream; maybe I had been running from my past, and finally had forgotten about it, maybe the old me didn't want to remember it. I was so confused, not knowing what to do.

I felt Scura muzzle against my cheek, letting my gaze up upon her again. She breathed her warm air in my face and I felt a strange urge to just shrink me into her, embrace her, like that would erase all of my problems.

As the time flew by, I had decided to curry Scura, with a little help from the stable boy, but he had other things to do, other horses to take care of, but as time was going by, other stable boys came, and the master of the stable. I could hear footstep down the hall, the movement was a bit like an echo in the barn, and they came closer. Scura responded to the sound by looking a little in the direction, but then just turned to munch on some of the hay and I just continued to brush her, it might as well be some of the young boys, but the steps which indicated that there were two people, turned out to be the ones I was waiting for.

"I see you're up early. Forgot that you had a day off?" I turned, hearing Ezio voice. Ezio and Federico stood in front of the bay, looking at me with their usual smiles. They got me to remember why it was that I had been up so early, and the thought wasn't nice, but I hid it from them. Why should I burden them with a dream that was so confusing and uncomfortable as the one I had? And if what the voice had said was true, then it was a completely different matter, but it was just a dream, nothing more.

"I guess I was too excited about this." I tried extra hard to hide the fact that my voice sounded tired and influenced by the night's occurrence. They seemed to buy it, or I hoped so, because I quickly forced my gaze away from them. They shouldn't see my effected mood. I got annoyed at myself about the whole situation; this shouldn't ruin my not-yet-started lesson, so I quickly forced a smile and some other thoughts to cloud my mind. I turned to them, this time with a more whole hearted smile.

"Well, let's get started then" Federico said.

Scura was not quite so crazy about the two brothers, and certainly not with Ezio, so it was a little awkward when he was teaching me how the saddle served and how it should be strapped. Federico was getting some of the stable boys to get theirs horses ready, because we would go for a ride together.

Ezio was standing behind me, and when I was doing something wrong, he would either take my hands and lead them where they should be, or show me how to do it with his own while he explained how to do it, and what to be looking for. Scura wasn't making it much easier, she was protesting about the presence of Ezio, so when I had to buckle the strap, she began to fill her lungs with deep breathe and bend her head down, which just made her extra big in size, so it was much harder to get the strap tight. Ezio would as soon try to get her to stop, but she would not take orders from him and she bit annoyingly out after him.

I got surprised when Ezio moved quickly out of the way, trying not to get any of his skin inbetween her teeth. He hit me a little when he was moving, but it was nothing to topple me down. Scura stood still; she had only moved with her neck, but I was getting impatient with her prejudice construction. She wasn't making this any easier.

"Scura, _stop_ it!" She flinched a little, hearing the hardness of my voice. She shook a little with her head and snorted out, like she didn't approve of the scolding, but did as I asked of her.

"Hmm, normally I don't have problems with the ladies" Ezio said out of wonderment but with a little chaff. "Haha, well, Scura is special I guess." I laughed a little.

"Indeed." I just smirked a little by hearing his low words but turned my attention to the saddle. We were almost finished, only missing the bridle.

"Well, lets get this finished and meet with Federico." I nodded in determination and we continued with the lesson, this time without as much protest from Scura, so Ezio relaxed a little, but never really left some of his awareness of Scura and her sudden movements. As the equipment was placed on her, it was as if things fell into my mind how to do it. Of course, I did make mistakes, but Ezio was patient and showed me how to do it. We left the saddlebag behind, since we didn't need it.

When we finally were making our ways out of the barn, we could see Federico standing outside with two horses by his sides, a red one and a dark brown one, all ready and set. The red one did look rather tempered, but I had other things to think about. The horses didn't say anything to each other, or it was more like Scura ignored them.

"Okay, now what?" I turned to look at Ezio, waiting for him to explain me how to get up on Scura, but of course I had an idea about it, but I would rather ask then make a fool out of myself. Ezio just smiled warm by my determination and turned to show me the reins.

"Take around the reins with your left hand and place your hand on the pommel on the saddle and place your other hand on the back of the saddle. Then place your left foot in here, and just lift yourself up." He showed with his hand the places, and then turned to look at me with a encouraged gaze. I sighed, ready, and approached the saddle and did as he had said. He held, however, an additional hold on the reins and was ready to intervene, if I were to fall down from my swing. I appreciated that he stood there, the first time I tried to get up, I was about to fall backwards, so with a little help from him, I came finally up after multiple tries to get there. I slid a little back and forth to sit properly and the saddle leather made only this possible. I could feel how I started to get a bit nervous, but I was excited about how it would turn out.

I stared down at Ezio as if to ask if I was sitting the right way, but I saw nothing wrong in his expression. "Good, now lean a bit back and relax-" He let a hand slide slowly up my back. It was warm and it got a slight chill to wake up in me, hopefully he didn't notice. Then he let his hand fall down along my leg to my foot. There was something mawkish about it, but I quickly shook the feeling away. Then he corrected the way my foot was laying in the stirrup, so it was only the tip of my foot that was placed on it. "-hold the reins like this and you are good to go. Now to get her to walk; use your legs to kick her lightly against her flanks, to stop her again, use your weight and easily pull in the reins." I nodded, breathe a little deep and tried it out. She did as he had said. She was walking, I was riding, and it was unbelievable.

I could feel how Scura's body moved under me; it was a good feeling. Scura was calm, and just went with a relaxed pace forward. But it took some time for me to get used to it all. There was a balance to be held and there were many things to be kept track of that had to be right.

Hooves could be heard behind me and I looked, with a little inconvenience, back. Ezio was now on the brown horse and Federico on the red one, both on their way towards us. They got up besides me, one on both sides.

"You're looking good, now let's get going," Federico said, showing the way we were heading for. It was a small path amidst all the green; with its beige color it divorced itself from the rest of the surroundings, but not in a bad way.

* * *

The nature was beautiful; you wouldn't think that we were in a winter month because everything was just as green as ever; well, at least I thought so. We had been riding for some time, and I was handling it quite well. After I had mastered the essentials, which came rather quickly, we had not been long to slow up a bit, but now, after a good hike in trot, we had slowed down again, getting the horses a little break. Scura really enjoyed getting out and exercise again. She had kept the same speed throughout the trip so far.

"You look like you have done this a million times. I guess you are ready for some more speed," Federico said resolutely, holding his horse, causing us to stop. I was still in the center, but suddenly they were exchanging glances but with something secretive in them, I looked from one to the other, not really liking the way they look.

"What are you two planning?" I asked, still not getting any calmer by the minute.

"Ezio, what do you say to a little run?"

"That wouldn't be fair for the bello, since we have the fastest horses in the city."

"What? Running? What are you talking about?"

"But what fun is a ride if you don't do it without a little competition?"

"Hello guys! I'm not following you here, could you spare a minute and tell me what you're planning?"

"I suppose you're right," Ezio declared then taken a better hold of his reins, ready for something to come. "What's the finish line?" He asked looking at Federico, both were complete ignoring me but I was beginning to understand what it was they were talking about.

"Over there, at the small bridge," Federico said while he pointed at some object in the distance, which really couldn't be seen, but we knew where it was.

"Fine by me." And then I was left in a cloud of dust, alone. Of course they would suddenly run off into a stupid race. Scura reacted too, but I got her hold back, not sure what had been going on. She sidestepped a little, dancing over the ground, but then calmed down a bit, but not the least satisfied by being the last one.

"Come on, Oria, it's a race, you're supposed to run along, you know!" Ezio yelled while he looked back at me. He was getting farther and farther away with Federico by his side, both horses in a fresh gallop.

"THAT'S CHEATING YOU KNOW!" I yelled as loud as I could, and the only answered I got, wasn't much to get this more equitable.

"I KNOW!" Stupid boys. But oh well, might as well get along and get to the finished line. I would probably lose anyway, but of course I wasn't going to give up right away.

"Well, let's go and get them girl" I said and Scura was fully onto the idea. With almost nothing to get her lose from her stance, she jumped forward in a big gallop move. For a moment I was surprised, but I knew there would be pace. It was a strange feeling to start with; you just had to hold on, but the more steps she took, and brought us closer to the brothers, the more I enjoyed the fresh momentum. To have been very adhesive, I was freer and followed her movements better. It was an amazing feeling; one would think that it was the same as flying. I loved the speed already and the smooth's movement she made right beneath me was thrilling.

I could see how we got closer to those cheaters in an unbelievable speed. At first I was pretty bumpy in the saddle, but soon I could follow her movements. Sitting steady, while I felt how the wind brushed me in my face. This got me to believe that we actually could win this race. She got closer, so close that I almost could touch the posterior of the two horses. I got in between them, the surprising look in their faces was almost enough to feed my satisfaction, but not quite yet. I admit that their horses weren't slow, not even near that, but Scura didn't look like she was impressed.

"Well, hello boys!" I was a little presumptuous, and my expression couldn't hide it, but they just smirked in response, looking like they were up to the competition. I felt like Scura was telling me that she was only waiting for me and the permission to really get into speed, and I gladly welcomed it.

"See you at the finish line," I said, teasing and a bit superior-like as well, and then I poked a little to Scuras flanks. By that she shot her chest forward and then it was as if her gallop steps got longer, took more ground within every step. The urge to just give in for the speed, wind and the nature around us, overcame me, and I threw an arm in the air while closing my eyes, it was fantastic. We were bathing in sunlight and embraced by the fresh air. I loved this speed; it was as if I could touch the sky with my bare hand. She had already outrun the other horses, leaving them behind. She was indeed a stunning racehorse. Like nothing was impossible. Her long but strong slender legs carried her over the ground as a bird would fly in the air. It was fascination.

I looked behind me to see how far Ezio and Federico were. There were unknown meters between us, prompting a smile to roam my lips. The surroundings changes steadily as we went forward, now getting into a small group of trees that were hiding the sky and sun making only few rays going through, but that made it magical with those poles of golden light steaming down.

The brightness was getting into view, but at the same time Federico and Ezio were nearing behind us, and the horses they were riding on had a stubborn glint in their eyes, as if they wouldn't let a mare be in the lead.

"Are you getting slower, dear Oria?" I could hear how cocky Ezio's voice was, when he had brought himself up besides me and Federico came strictly after.

"Haha, don't worry, I just thought that I should give you a chance," I replied boldly while looking deep into his brown eyes. He held my gaze for a moment before breaking into a wry smile. He could see the playfulness in me. It was like it reflected back in him. I tore my gaze to myself, looked forward and began to think that we had ridden side by side sufficient enough, I leaned a little forward and took a better team in the reins, then used my voice to speed up and my feet gently pressed Scura at her sides. The speed took a new level, she forced her way through, riding once again ahead of the others, and this time to keep the leading role. The hooves were like a storm that romped forward and tore the ground up after itself, with large clouds of dust hanging behind it.

It was a great feeling when we finally reach the bridge as the winners, but we just flew right over it, not stopping, we had too much speed to simply stop right there, but when we had finally stopped few meters away, Ezio and Federico had just galloped over the bridge. I patted Scura rewarding for the great speed she had supplied, on her strong neck. The course had made us both a little breathless, so as soon as I could, I leaned cross the relaxed neck of hers, released the reins and petted her a bit, while I stuck my nose into her mane, so I really could sniff her furry fragrance.

"_That_ I did not expected" Federico interrupted my little peace, I glanced a little at them while they approached.

"Neither did I, but God it was fantastic!" I cheered with sparkling eyes.

"One thing is for sure; you definitely can ride, I don't think we need to teach you anymore." Federico said in redolence.

"And you called us cheaters" Ezio muttered, who held his horse an in front of me.

I just smiled teasinginly. "You just have to accept that you're slower than a girl, Ezio" I let my tongue poke out with a jauntily, bantering gleam on my face, at him. He rolled with his eyes, chuckled a little, and shook with his head. "So sweet you are. Did you hear that Federico? She just said we were slow"

"No, she said _you_ were slow, dear brother," Federico teased and look a little conceited at him. I laughed at that, leaving the brother's to themselves, knowing that they probably would continue their little "word game." But Federico stood as the victorious big brother, leaving the loser position to Ezio.

"We should head back now" I declared before the two of them would go too much into their little game. And so, we began to ride home, this time in a slow speed, just enjoying each other's company.

* * *

It was the 16th of December, little over a week had passed since our first enjoyable ride. It had been fun, and I had tried as many times as I could to get Scura out and running. The skills of mine had kept getting better and better. I didn't need help from the others anymore, as I could remember things about what to do with horses. The mystery of the saddlebag had lingered in the air, so I had also took the time to get through the saddlebag, which hadn't been touched for ages it seemed; a lot of dead food, medicine, bandages and some small things filled the bag. Nothing that was out of the ordinary and not something that had triggered anything from my past to show itself. Gratefully, I hadn't got any nightmares since the first, (and hopefully the last one) and for that, I was thankful.

The noise was like a buzz for my ears and the heat was dry, but not unbearable. I was sitting on a little bench outside in the little square front garden, in the palazzo. By my side was Claudia, sitting and talking nonstop while I was the victim of the unstoppable words that left her pink mouth.

I didn't feel like a plain maid whose only purpose was all the hard tasks around the palazzo. Claudia had probably just need to talk with some other than her rather stiff friends. I have to admit, I didn't like them that much; they looked at me like I was just a measly peasant, not worthy of their respect, it wasn't all of them that gave that viper of cause.

My concentration was taken by the far too familiar, masculine figure of the young man who always went with his confident measures. He was probably going out on those small errands he made for his father, because he was heading straight towards the gate. He only gave us a little bit of his brown eyes, but I caught it as if he had thrown it at me. I only followed him with the blue of my gaze for at short time, Claudia was the one to break the silent glance. I turned to look at her, and find a really teasing but still a little odd look on her face, but her eyes that had been directed at me was now on where Ezio just had been.

"Men can be such beasts."

"Claudia, are you talking about your own brother?" I was surely surprised to hear that coming from her, Claudia, the girl who was madly in love. Claudia was still very serious and not a single little wrinkle told otherwise.

"In fact I am, and that's why I'm warning you. He is expressly a beast." I couldn't quite understand where it all came from, but she didn't look at me, she still had her gaze directed right at the spot Ezio had just passed.

"Claudia, are you mad at your brother?"

"No, why do you think that?"

"Well, I didn't quite expect that from you." I raised my body a little, could not help but shake a bit with my head, but she sounded to know what she was talking about, but then again, she had known Ezio far longer than I had, so there was probably something about the chatter.

"No, but trust me when I say this: he had that face when he is going to have a little _fun _and certainly with some women." So the man wasn't on some errands for his father, what a surprise. "Oria, I only say this because I'm your friend, but do look out, you never know when he or other guys is going to make their move..."

"Haha, Claudia, I will be perfectly okay. It's not like all the men are running after me, and I can take care of myself just fine."

"Yes, because that we saw the other day."

"Claudia!" I broke out with a slightly irritated voice. I know she meant the best, but this was getting a little on my nerves.

"Oria, you may be blind enough not to see it, but I have seen how some guys tend to look at you, and it's not fairy tales they are thinking." My eyes went rolling a little, let a sigh roll out and I looked once again on her with a little raised eyebrows.

"You sound like your mother, Maria, you know," I said, not that annoyed this time.

"Weeell, my dear mother may have told a thing or two quite like it," She couldn't hold her smile for any longer and busted out in a big, charming smile, which just got me laughing with her.

"Fine, I will look out, but I don't see the fuss about this," I admitted, but she just shrugged.

* * *

The weather was sultry, the sky was painted with a warm but dull orange color and the clouds danced easily over heaven's breezes. Most of the day was gone, but it was not over. The city was not quiet, it was awake and cheerful. I was in the little atrium of the palazzo, enjoying this great weather and the small flowers, honeysuckle, that where blooming in the little stand that was like a whole carpet over one of the walls. Maria's little diversion I think, she were the one who kept the plant intact.

I sniffed a little of their sweet olfactory allowing myself to forget a little about the world around me.

"You know what?" I got a shook, flinched my eyes open in their own soundless scream, turning half around just to find Ezio standing in the opening of the little atrium. I got quickly my gasp under control. In a small attempt to act calm and not surprised at all, I asked, but it was only a failing attempt.

"What?"

Ezio moved closer with my wary eyes glued to him. "You remind me of a flower, that one actually,-"He was really close, a different smell was lingering to him, I couldn't describe it wholehearted. He was now pointing with a steady finger towards one of the white flowers that grew in the climbing plant "-while closed, you're mysterious, keeping your color, elegance and abilities only for yourself. But open I think that you will be one of the finest flower seen." Questions raising brows were sky high on my face. I had turned to look at the flower he had pointed out, making me face with a little of a back towards him. "But you still need something to bloom to that beautiful flower, to make you a true flower." This was getting more and more sneaky and smarmy as he talked. I turned, just to find out that my eyes were bound to his. I didn't like this charming talk he was firing with.

"I can give you that…" That was it. He was making his way towards my face, and his eyes totally on my lips. My back was up against the wall, my head pressing a little on the plant, so some of the white flowers was sticking their heads forward inbetween some of my dark locks.

He was trying to kiss me, and the thing he just said… I already knew what he meant by giving me the last boost to make me a full-fledged "flower" – flower my ass, he wanted just to have sex with me.

"Do you say this to every girl you try to sleep with?" I snarled, cold with a killer look in my dark blue eyes.

"No, not everyone"

A high sound of a clash was followed by the dead silence, but not for long, after my hand had make its mark on his right cheek, I exclaimed in a high note and like water flowed over a carrier, with anger in it. "This _flower_ will now move her root out of here!" I hissed, pushed him away and rushed out of the atrium in pure anger.

I wasn't running, just walking really, really fast away from the Auditore palazzo. When I had come to a certain point and everything was finally making so much sense as it could, I began to look back while I yelled as if Ezio was walking behind me.

"You Bastado, freak. I HATE YOU!" The people that had heard me must have think that _I_ was a freak, but at that point I didn't give a darn about it. While I had yelled I had turned around, so I was walking backwards.

Suddenly I felt how everything went upside down, the sky was abrupt my line of sight. I heard how something went rushing down, making a loud noise, I fell on something… soft.

I winked a little with my eyes and then I heard how a sore moaning got let out in the air, below me. I quickly left myself up, looking with a shook expression on the man that now was rubbing his head a little, under his red hat that had fallen a little out of place.

"I am so sorry, I really am!" I broke out in a fast voice, letting my hands on his arms, trying to get him up from the ground.

"Don't worry, it's quite alright, seems like I'm not the only one lost in thoughts." I felt like crying that he was so forgiving. It was like he saw through my head and read my thoughts. "Don't worry madonna (ma'am), it's quite alright." I nodded a little, not really knowing what to say, I had been so absorbed by the anger that I hadn't seen where I was going. My eyes were soon turned towards the ground taking a look on the objects he had held. It was paintings.

"Let me help!" I kneeled letting my hands search for the edges of the paintings to get a hold on them, then putting them in the box there had been in.

"Thank you madonna, I appreciated the help. My name is Leonardo da Vinci." I smiled a little, forgetting all about a certain man and the things that had just happened.

"Glad to meet you Leonardo of Venice, my name is Oria." He had a warm expression I grew rather fond of, and it lighted my mood to an unexpected decree.

* * *

**Yeah, The part with Ezio being a ass, did trouble me greatly! Hope you like and I hope it's not totally lame!**

**Please Review :3**

**Chapter 5 over and out! **


	6. In a matter of time

**SO SORRY! DDD: This have taken too much time, but there have just been so many things in my life lately that it was hard to get it done! D:  
Well, about this chapter, you can call it a filler... kind of, but you get a little taste of Orias situation ^^**

**I don't quite know what to think about this chapter, when i started on it I was in the rhythm of writing english, then I held a looong pause, and I totally failed on the english part 3 Maybe it's a little boring chapter? I don't know, actually!**

AND I have another ting to say! I have decided that the story itself will be named: **A Renaissance tale**, and you can say that the story: Guardian of The Apple is like book 1, because I have been thinking and thinking, and I have decided that when this story is done, Guardian of The Apple, there will be a **sequel**, which will be like book 2 in this series.

**I hope you will be following until then! But that will be in the future… course there is a long way to go, before Guardian of The Apple is finished, I can say that for sure!**

**(copy past from my profile x3)**

**I hope you like! Please review! :3 that would make my day reaaally good!  
Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**In a matter of time**

To redeem myself of the mistake I had made, I was giving my help to the man, trying to get him home without any more accidents. We made it to his cluttered home. After he had opened the door, I took some tentative steps in and the amount of things to gaze upon and take in were numerous. There were so many things I had never seen or even come across before. There were items everywhere, sitting on the floor, tables and shelves. Books were on the ground making pillars; it wouldn't be surprising if they would reach the ceiling someday.

"I apologize for the mess. If I had knew a young bella like you would come to my workshop, I would certainly had cleaned up some more." I was surprised by his apology, but I just shook my head gently with a smile curled over my lips when I caught sight of him..

"Hehe, it's quite alright Leonardo. You don't need to worry about it, but I must say that I'm impressed! You really have a great talent" Leonardo looked at me as I walked around the shop, but in moderation. I approached him as I finished looking around. Several paintings were hidden behind a sputtered apron; some hung still unfinished at the countless easels throughout the place.

"If there is anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask." I simply smiled at Leonardo's kindness and nodded once in understanding. He really did make me forget everything about Ezio and the fact that he had been an annoying bastard who really had pissed me off to a point where I had to just run away. I had never thought that he would do that;_never_, and certainly not with me, a servant. I felt pretty stupid for not taking Claudia's warning serious, since she had been right all along.

"Can I be so bold to ask why you were yelling out in anger before?" Leonardo asked in his kind voice, his cunning eyes peering at me. I was a little surprised since he had heard me, the man who himself had been I deep thoughts, but then again, I had been yelling pretty loud to not be noticed by anyone. It made me flush a little in embarrassment.

"Well, it's a long story, you can say…," I said, a little uncertain, but he just gave one of his friendly smiles. It was as if I had known him for a long time. I felt so relaxed around him and my tense shoulders fell. He showed me a place where I could sit with a gently gesture, and I followed without hesitate.

_(this line stands for a star)_

* * *

After an unknown time had passed by, I had released my anger on the matter with Ezio, and after having the time to actually think what had happened, it was as if my anger got to a whole new level. The poor Leonardo must have had a giant headache by the vociferous voice of mine. As I finished the explaination, I still sat on the chair with heavy body moments caused by my breathless state. It felt so great to let it all out that I totally forgot about my manners. I looked cautiously to Leonardo, as if I was worried about how he would look at me now after having reveled my loud-mouthed self.

But he was just sitting with a gentle smile and warm eyes, looking at me with polite interest. Then he grunted low in his throat, straightened his back.

"Sounds like he was drunk," he declared calmly. I just snorted irritably back with my eyes fiercely the other way by that answer.

"That doesn't make me less angry!" I retorted bluntly. Childish, I know, and I sure didn't try to sound very mature, but the confusion was overwhelming and now where I had gotten the time to think over all the things that had happened, I didn't know how to react. I was a normal girl, with the exception of the lost memory, weapons and too many small scars. It wasn't something that would hit you in your eyes when you saw me, but if you looked after you would have noticed them.

With crossed arms and ocean blue-eyes locked on another place than Leonardo's face, I sat there not saying anything anymore. The silence grew between us since Leonardo didn't say anything either. I finally looked upon him from the corner of my eyes, a little interested in what he was doing now. When I focused on him, I could see that he was too tired now, and being that gentleman that he was, he wouldn't ask a 'lady' like me to leave. I smiled softly and sighed quietly, loosened up in my position and patted him gently on his shoulder, with a mild expression.

"Thank you for your time Leonardo, but I think it's time for me to go now."I wouldn't my anger out on him; he had suffered enough of it anyway. I stood up from the chair that I had been sitting on for what my stiff muscles told me was a long time. He looked at me, and nodded a little as a sign that he understood what I was getting at and he followed me to the door.

Before leaving, I stopped briefly and looked at him again, still with a little smile on my lips. "Leonardo, may I come again?" I asked, a little humbled, not really sure if he wanted to have anything to do with me, but I was happily surprised when his whole face turned into a big warm smile.

"Of course you can! I would be delighted if you would take some of your time to come and visit me!" My own face flourished into a big smile before I slipped out the door with a waving hand to Leonardo, who was standing in the doorway, waving back at me until I disappeared around the corner.

* * *

There was something about this girl who was now waving happily as she ran along the street in the night. The deep blue eyes wasn't something he had seen often, and through he himself was one of the very few with blue eyes, was it as if hers was something totally different. As he had been sitting with her, hearing her story, more than one idea to a picture had popped up in his mind. That itself wasn't normally, but the young and spirited girl, who hadn't been laying fingers inbetween how she had felt, had awakened his curiosity of this girl.

He waved a little to the girl before she disappeared complete from hit sight. He knew that this night's sleep would probably go to his pencil and paper, the ideas was to promising to give up.

* * *

The night air was comforting; a little chilly, but nothing so bad or to freezing. My legs carried me forward in their regular jogging speed on the dead quiet street of Florence. After some time, however, my speed died a little by little, and then entirely. I stood still, not knowing if I should be going home to the palazzo with Ezio and his family in it or have some more time for myself. It was as if Leonardo's comfortable and tranquil frame that had soothed my anger had been erased as I got farther and farther away from him. Now I was in a more confused state than ever—maybe Ezio _had_ been drunk and wasn't thinking about it as much as I was now, but still I couldn't find head or tail in the whole mess.

My eyes searched a little, from one street to another, as if the one street would look more tempting then the other. I sighed and then turned right, the path that led away from home.

She looked surprised at me when she saw me come wading through the stall as if it was the most normal thing to do in the middle of the night. She snorted short at me with an eager movements with her head and then just as I was in range, she snuggled the black head of hers into me. She was so warm and I automatically began to cuddle against her as my hand stroke her warm skin with the night black fur.

"Hey girl, did you miss me?" I whispered with a mild voice but after that my voice just died, nothing really came out after that for a while. I began to feel an unfamiliar yet known feeling; it actually confused me, but the troubled worried within me lighted up faster than expected. Scura could feel the sudden changed and shook slightly with her head at me just to take a better look at me as if to check if everything was alright. What met her eyes was expression not known to me yet. A mischievous smile and lively night blue eyes filled with night stars in them.

"Let's go for a ride girl!" I open the stall door and let myself in.

This time I didn't saddle her entirely up - the saddle was left behind. The bridle was the only thing Scura was wearing this time. With a bit of tension we sneaked out of the barn. We couldn't be discovered there, otherwise ours newborn adventured would be stopped. Scura was much more discreet than usual and her two dark and two ivory-colored hooves said virtually nothing against the barn floor. So in simple terms we tiptoed into the dark night which was filled with big white smiling stars.

With a little help from a tree stump, I got a good jump onto her back. After I had adjusted my posture, getting my hands on the reins, I looked around a little bit. I knew where we were going. The first time I had been riding with the Auditore brothers I had seen a lot of godlike nature, and after that - when I had got the time to ride - I had been exploring.

* * *

With night as their shelter and the moon as their light, they continued along one of the many off trails which were not man-made. Oria had put the eager Scura in a calm gallop, and in small irregular snort that made her nostrils widen, she blew a warm white breath out in the cool air. The farther they went in the terrain, the denser it got and became extraneous to travelers, but to the black mare and it's rider it was nothing. It was as if they were in the rhythm of the nature around them and with each other. What Oria didn't see, Scura saw and what Scura didn't see, Oria saw. They were a good team. They knew each other and every little signal they send the other understood them completely.

Scura's strong slender legs carried them both in an elegance moments in this calm gallop where the four hooves rambled over the earth with a deep and life full sound after them, making their sign that they had been here with the marks of hooves on the ground. In the night green world they were in, surrounded them and made them invisibly for every other then themselves.

The trees was hanging out over the little trail that was as good as vanished by the grass, letting many of their leaves almost kiss the ground with their smooth lips of green. The brown curly hair was dancing in the wind and the moments of the gallop, and the blue dress was placed carefully enough not to show anything that wasn't supposed to show even through the darkness of the night was more than enough to hide.

* * *

With a steady hold on the reins and a little squeeze with my bare legs, I got Scura to hold still for a minute. I looked around to make a short notify as to where we were, and soon after I got Scura into trot, and then turned left into what would seem like nothing but trees and bushes. But this was where the magic came. Just beyond the big wall of nothing but plants a little animal-trail took life and twisted itself around the terrain, around trees and bushes, making way through the high grass and other weeds. By this time our light was almost lost, the treetops only let little patches of the pale moonlight through, but Scura knew where we were going. She knew exactly where to plant her hooves. With simply this we got through the big forest without any incidents.

A fox, a predator of the night, looked at us with its lightened eyes some meters away, holding a steady gaze at us, seeing if we were a threat or not, but after Scura made some strong moments with her neck it decided that it was best to go, leaving us alone. There was no warning that the forest would stop at anytime; other than that, there was more moonlight in our surroundings. We had been going uphill for a short while and now, it was becoming flat once again, but also finished. Scura stopped automatically before a huge cliff took formation before our eyes. With several meters down to the bottom that screamed certain death in my mind, I got Scura to turned to the side so I better could look down.

She only tripped a little when she wasn't so sure about the distance to the gap of death but I got her to stand still, the deep and powerful noise of splashing water hit our ears and couldn't hide from our attention. A glory deafening waterfall had taken a majestic place into the opposite canyon and fell with its gushing water into the large lake that received and keep its water levels in balance from the waterfall. A small but big enough for us, trail took us way down to the bottom.

Scura took steady steps to get us safely down, small stones and rock would sometimes glide down and make Scura stop abruptly, but with some persuasion she would keep going. I sighed lightly when Scura had all four hooves on the plain grass, and the tense feeling that had been in her body loosened up at the second. I was overwhelmed by the sight, I had never seen it in the night, and now the water looked like silver with thousand stars captured in it. I jumped off of Scura, letting her go free - I already knew that she wouldn't run away.

"What do you say girl, good decision, right?" I looked back over my shoulder at her, but she had already lost her interest in me for the time being; I found her eating grass. A sigh left me and I just briefly shook my head and went further to the edge of the lake with a smile. I sat down and simply looked at the flow of the water the waterfall made, down where the water was less powerful and much calmer then up there where we had came from. It calmed my troubled heart and mind, and left me with nothing but feeling of relief. Soon I found myself closing my eyes, and with that I laid down on the soft grass looking short on the stars and then, my dark blue eyes said goodbye to the surroundings for the time being, letting my ears be the primary contact of the world around me.

_Darkness was no more; instead, there was light, warm shiny light was pouring down from the sky, making the whole place alike the so called Eden. A garden of paradise. Laughter tore the silence apart and with that, it was as if all kind of sounds suddenly broke into the world. _

_"Oria! Oria! Aww, Come on ORIANA! Wake UP!" A childish voice broke the slumbering of the little Oriana who got a big shock when the little sister of hers suddenly stood over her, yelling in her ear. A big clash was made from their heads collided together with each other, when Oria had sat up in a fast moments, too fast for the sister to catch up. Oria fell down on earth, just to get herself up yet again. She rubbed her little forehead while a little cough broke free. _

_"Damn you, Melia! Why can't you just let me sleep? It was a really good dream too!" The young Melia smiled a wry one and a teasing sparkle shined through her eyes. _

_"I bet it was! You were muttering Enzo's name!" The cheeks of Oria suddenly became very red and she looked almost shocked for a second, until she shouted out loud in a little heavy voice. _

_"I DID NOT!" Melia was almost dying of laughing by the outburst from her older sister. _

_"HAHAHAHA, you SO did!" She got out inbeween her grins. _

_"I DID NOT, I SAID!" Oria yelled again, but she couldn't get her sister to listen and then she pushed her, so little Melia rolled on the soft grass still laughing, but seeing that nothing worked with her irritating little eight-year old sister, Oria laid down beside Melia and laughed with her. _

_"You really like him, don't you?" Melia asked after they had grinned almost tears. Oria looked a little on her, and this time it was hers turn to tease. _

_"Mela, Mela, Mela, that's adult-talk, a little girl like you shouldn't stick her nose in such things!" Oria smiled triumphant and looked at her sister out of the corner of her deep blue eyes. Mela sat up in a fast movement, staring at her sister as she quickly got her response out. _

_"Hey! You're not an adult yourself! You're __**just**__ three years older than me!" _

_"But there's still three whole years between us! And that's a lot you know!" Mela just sad there staring annoyed at her sister, her ten-year old sister. Oria could see that she was annoyed by the facts, and agreed with herself what should be done about it. _

_"Let's go!" She said while taking a hold on one of Melas hands and then she began to drag her with her. _

_"Where are we going?" The little confused Mela busted out, but Oria didn't answer, just heading forward, moving a little of the many leaves from the long branches and bushes that stood in their way. _

_"This, my dear Mela, is only the beginning." Oria grinned, as she stepped out from Melas viewpoint and saw Melas' confused face that soon completely changed by the sight that laid before them. _

_"...Wow" She blinked with the small eyes of hers just to checked if she was dreaming or not. She was awake. A big waterfall embraced by rocks, ended in a little calm lake. Wild flowers were blooming everywhere, in every color. _

_"Oria, you're the best!" Mela said fast and threw her arms around Oria in a big sister-hug. "We will always be together!" Mela whispered in her sister's arms and that left Oria with a soft smile on her face. _

_"Yeah, always..." She answered._

When I finally woke up, I had troubling opening my eyes again. I felt empty, I felt that something was missing, I felt like I had just had a dream that meant much to me, but I couldn't remember it. I felt like crying.

I could hear how Scura's hooves were near me, she was coming closer and then I felt her warm breathe against my face, which made me open my eyes.

"Hey girl, finished eating?" I caressed her while looking her in her brown eyes. "Then let's go home" I stood up, brushing my dress slightly, and took a hold on the reins. How much I had slept I wasn't sure, but the moon was still high up in the sky. So an half a hour was my best shot of the time that had been going by as I had slept.

After using a rock to fling myself up onto her back, I sat Scura in a light trot against the long trail up. It was a little steep, but nothing we couldn't handled.

But as we were going uphill Scura reacted on something, she stopped completely on the hill, at that time I had to hold onto her mane just be sure that I wouldn't fall off. Scura's ears were now dancing in all directions, making sure where this unknown sound came from. I got a little tense by this. This just meant that we weren't alone anymore, something was out there, something I couldn't see, and that made me nervous.

"Let's go girl!" I whispered as I leaned a little forward, closer to her ear, which in that instant gave me some of her awareness. My feet poked to her flanks and in the next she had sat herself in a gallop. This was creeping me out, I could feel more than one pair of eyes laying on us, and it was as if they were burning in my very soul. A branch cracked somewhere near us and a shock went through my whole being. I could hear my own breathing now, and then... it was like hell broke loose.

I heard a rush that cut through the air and then it was as if a small pressure of wind collided against me. I felt like screaming but I didn't have the time, I just felt something inside me that took control, as if I had done this more than once. Arrows was rushing through that air with us as their target. Scura whined as one almost got her at her breast but she had just in time stopped and now reared while kicking with her forelegs, this got her to slide a little backwards with small multiple stones gliding beside her hooves. The arrow had instead met with the hard wall of rocks and soil, the same fate as many other arrows got.

This time it wasn't just a little poked against her flanks, we had to get away and fast. Scura threw herself forward in gallop in a speed not used today, and soon we were at the top of the cliff. There wasn't time for a little breath after the way up from that devilish hill, neither had I the time to think what was actually going on. When another arrow was flying fairly close towards us, my right hand was quick to search down to my hips, but never found what my mind had been seeking for. Instead I got Scura turned hard right and got out from the arrows firing line just in time.

The nerve wreaking silence got in the next moment broke by the hoarse voices of men that now began to show themselves.

"You are _not_ getting away this time!" One of them yelled and then I could hear how more than one horse was put in gallop towards us. I hadn't time to see them. I just knew this was where we had to run. After had been standing on top of the cliff just to get a little perspective over the situation, Scura was now running like mad. Her hooves sounded like thundered against the ground. I knew that the trees in the forest would be a good shelter form the arrows. It only took few steps before we were covert in night green colors from all the leaves, but the men followed us inside the big carpet of trees and bushes.

Scura was fast and she knew how to maneuver in this dense growth of plants, but it was hard on me and my bare legs, more than once I could feel blackberry bushes rake my bare legs or when a branch was just in head high and I had to dodge just in time.

My eyes got a good shot of how fast the other riders were and theirs horses, they weren't just usually guards. These men were to experience in this. I felt something came fast from behind which made me react impulsive, making Scura turn almost straight left. How the hell I was still sitting on her back, without saddle, was only something the Gods could answer to, I just thought that it was lucky, but my choice of going left made us off itinerary, and suddenly our trail was nonexistent. I soon found out that these men could fire arrows as they were riding, but when doing so, their horse would slower down, making some distance between us.

"COME ON GIRL! FASTER!" I yelled with a strong and proven voice. My heels kicked at her flanks and Scura reacted very on this, making her strides a lot longer, taking in more ground within every step. She snorted loud while her dilated nostrils moved fast, making loud sounds. I could feel her body warm like a big blanket under me, she was beginning to become sweaty.

I looked around, seeing how the men were meters away but up besides us. Trees were separating us. A sharp feeling was growing inside me. We weren't rid of theses annoying bastards yet.

Arrows was flying around us like a mild rain, and they were coming from behind from the men who had dispersed and making sure that the arrows wasn't off trail, which meant that the arrows was only near Scura and me.

The terrain was making certain that we could only almost run straight forward, and I didn't even knew where we were anymore, expect that it was a place in Italy. Right now I really could have used some help, but my mind was only screaming safety first, than scream help later.

I felt like crying and laughing when I saw what destiny just had thrown at us, was it actually trying to let me get caught or just having some fun, I didn't know. I just knew that I had to jump for the very first time after all I could recall. A big, dead tree was lying in our path. My mind frizzed for a short moment, but Scura snorted once again, but this time for me, making me so calm you could be in our situation, but something different also happened, it was simply as if my body took the control, knowing what to do and how to do it.

Once again my legs pressed against Scuras sides, making her steps a little shorter, taking a better grip at the reins and then, Scura sat off to a big jump. In that moment it was as if everything was standing still. It was only after Scura had run for a while after the jump that I understand what had just happened. I looked shocked over my shoulder, just to look much more shocked when my eyes caught the arrows. In a minute I had dodge one arrow by a few inches. Cold sweat was driving down my forehead by the thought of an arrow sticking out from my dead body.

Soon the forest was shutting down, not letting us get anymore protecting. We were almost running out on a huge meadow.

_Crap, crap, crap, crap! _

The speed was taking up once again, but lucky Scura was still the faster horse, but she was starting to get tired of all the sudden running. For once I let a hand glide over her warm neck, as if I was petting her.

"Sorry Scura, but just a little more!" I said humbled, this was tearing down my energy. I was too tired to do this anymore. But my little moment of not being fully concentrated was that little instant they needed. A sharp pain shot through me just a little over my right hip. I hissed loud of pain and looked down just to find a red wound that was now providing pass for the blood. It wasn't deep but that didn't made the pain lesser. The arrow wasn't there, so it hadn't got enough to bid in to stay.

"Cazzo! (fuck)" I wheezed through my teeth, making a hold onto the wound with my left hand. I could feel how the warm liquid drifted around my fingers, making the blue fabric a dark Bordeaux color. I looked back with a cold snarling gaze at the men. Seven men were behind me, making their horses ready to yet again to run us down, this was the first time were I actually could see them completely. They didn't look like normally guards, either their clothes or how there were riding. They all had black caps with hoods on, which was hiding their bodies and the faces.

It felt like there was no ending to this meadow, it looked everlasting, but my eyes were deceiving me. It looked like a straight line with this meadow and the next, but this meadow ended in a little hill which leaded down to a trail, a trail to the city Florence. A big wood sign with black letters had the word Florence on it. I never thought that I would be so happy to see the letters of that city.

Scura glided down the hill but on the last part she jumped in a gallop paces down on the trail, making a bigger pain increase for a short moment in my side. I hissed in a sharp tone but needed to think about something different. Some of the men followed down to the trail while three others decided to run along the hills edge. It was as if Scura suddenly had more energy left and then shot like an arrow through the air, but the horses on the hill was following with us better than them behind, I could just barely see out from the corner of my eyes that one of the men was prepared to shoot another arrow.

Scura lifted her hinds high up in the air, making me a little surprised, but none than less I was still on her, and the arrow had only smashed with the ground. I felt suddenly how a light feeling was seeking through me when I saw that warm red city, which I had now lived in for almost two months. I was so relieved when we finally were only few meters away from the big gate that lead into the city, lucky this was still open.

But when we were almost inside was there something in me that made Scura stop, she had got too much speed on that she had to glide a little before standing still, but even there she was still in some few movements, not really letting her front legs be on the ground for long, dancing a little around, but I didn't think about that, she was too fired up. But why, why did my body knew something I didn't, why where there something in me that just knew that we were safe inside this city for now.

I soon found out that some meters away all the men that had been chasing me had stopped and their horses was now tripping around after such a rush with adrenaline pounding in our bodies. They didn't move an inch closer after that invisible line and then they were about to turn around. They only got a few time of mine before it was to nerve breaking, and Scura yet again galloped in high speed into the sleeping city.

We took the fastest but also the quietest streets we could take home, when we were near the palazzo I finally snapped together in pain, I gasped after air and my free hand had to hold onto the reins and some of Scura's mane, just to hold me on. I didn't have any more energy left, this was just too much, and the scariest thing I sure ever had experienced and yet I didn't cry one single tear of fear. My legs were completely numb and I knew I couldn't walk, which had made me ride all the way home, but what now... I gasped again and then my fingers were numb too, I couldn't hold onto her anymore, and I felt how I was beginning to slide down her back.

I had lost too much blood and black spots were dancing in my eyesight, damn why was I just so unlucky?

I was only waiting for the pain from hitting the ground hard, but it never came, and never did I feel the gravity rip in me much, instead I felt something warm and breathing. Arms, I saw white fabric around the arms and leather gloves on the hands.

"Oria!" The voice was husky and slightly included, I already knew who it was and that made me calm. Giovanni looked worried and a little wondering over seeing me and Scura here, but he soon found out about the wound.

_Ooh, it's Giovanni, hey Giovanni! _My mind was playing with me, it was as if I was talking to him, but not really doing it.

"Cosa é successo? (what happened)" He asked with a little wavering voice, with really gentle movements he turned me a little around, so he better could look me an, but the only thing I really noticed and remembered was that his clothes was quite different from what he normally would wear.

_That's quite some fancy clothes you have there, Giovanni. _He didn't know what my mind was saying and looked me over, from top to toe; making sure that he didn't oversee something. Than after a short while he left me up in his arms and began to walk towards the gateway of the palazzo. After that my eyes closed completely and I didn't see or hear after that.

The next thing I knew I was in my bed, my body was sore, not really wanting to suddenly move, but nonetheless it did as I wanted, and let a hand glide over my face, just to wake myself a little more up. What had happened after? One thing for sure, I didn't have my blue dress on, and my wound was bandaged, not bleeding anymore. I guess I would survive this, which was a good thing…

"Oria! Would you mind telling me what have happened?" _Waah, sweet Jesus, had he been there the whole time?_ Giovanni stepped out from the shadows, looking upon me with a little suspicious glance, well, no surprise really. Your maid had just happened to come home in the middle of the night bloody wounded and on a horse, collapsing, I guess it wasn't so unimaginable how ones master would look at you.

I sighed shortly, thinking how I should explain something I didn't understand myself. Guess I would start at the beginning, which would be… with Ezio. I sank a lump in my throat as I began to feel how a warm feeling was spreading through me. It was a strange annoyance that was swelling up inside me. Strange it was, because shouldn't I be more concerning of what had just happened instead of that damn thing with Ezio?

Well in the end I was telling almost everything to Giovanni. But this time when I was talking to him, he felt much more mysterious than he ever had before. Maybe it was because of his clothes, but that couldn't be because of that. It made absolutely no sense at all.

When I came to the point when I got hit by the arrow I suddenly realize something, I hadn't my blue dress on and my wound was done, that would mean that Giovanni had… before I realized it my cheeks was beginning to be flushed. Giovanni saw this and thus a smile began to spread on his narrow lips.

"Don't worry I got some help with the wound and clothes," he answered to my unspoken question. I did understand what he meant by help, but who? That questions answer came through the doorway just as soon I had thought about it. Maria came towards me and then sat on the bed, laying a hand on my forehead just to check if I had fever, luckily I didn't.

"How are you?" her voice was calm and with a dark eyes that followed with it. She was the essence of calm in my eyes.

"I guess… fine?" I said, not actually feeling any pain in my lower body, but when I moved a little I could as sure as hell feel it. Damn, too fast to say such things.

"I guess not" Maria noted from the aching expression of mine. Giovanni was still silence, watching observing at me, as if he was trying to get all secret out just by watching.

"And you have no idea of why they wanted you?" I just shook my head a little and looked more or less into the air in an empty stare.

"Hmm," was the only sound I got from Giovanni before he began to walk towards the door. "For now, just take some days off until you can move again without pain. I will see what I can found out about this, but for the time being it's best if you don't tell this to anybody at all." He was right, it would be too dangerous to let other people know. Maria and I looked at him a last time before he disappeared from the room, leaving us alone.

Maria turned towards me and smiled silenced at me.

"Now, try to get some sleep." With that it was Marias turn to walk out from the room, leaving me by myself. After laying down on the bed once again, I closed my eyes. This time, I had a different feeling in my body, and I didn't have any words to express it. It was like hell was soon to break loose, but could be avoided if something was done soon, but my mind couldn't take anymore thinking and shut down after that, leaving me to a dreamless sleep. 

* * *

**This was chapter 6! Hope you enjoy this, and didn't think it was totally boring x3 - next our lovely Assassin will be there 8D tihi 3  
(was that just a spoiler? - naaah! xD) **

**Please review! :3 and you will make a girl veeeery happy! :DDD **

**Over and out! **


	7. When nightmare becomes reality

**So, everybody! it has been a loooong time, hasn't it? I AM SO SORRY! I really am! Actually this chapter has been finished for quite some time, but my beta-reader has been quite busy lately, so now, after some time I desided that I would give it to you, but this means that it is a unbeta-version, sorry for all the spelling/grammar-mistakes, but I am not perfect in english! **

**This chapter is in two parts, so next chapter will also be named "When Nightmare becomres reality" - I hope you enjoy and can see away from all the mistakes :) **

**And thank you for all the favs and reviews! I must say, everytime somebody take their time to write what they think, it warms my heart, and gives me more motivation to write on this story! So thanks you, everybody! :D **

* * *

Chapter 7

When nightmare becomes reality

part 1

It felt like an eternity, lying in this bed, not doing anything at all. It got me frustrated, sighing countless of times, while my arms sometimes would fall down on the bed after being in the air in short moments. Damn this was _so_ boring, I felt like I would corroded away. Another sigh left my mouth, making its boring way through the air. Of course the rest of the house had noticed my absence during the day after my little accident, Giovanni, however, had just answered their questions with his little white lie that I had been out for a small work accident, and soon would be back on my feet again. Well, that was an exaggeration.

On the fifth day I was still laying in bed, too excitable to be trapped in my soft, comfortable blankets anymore. I had happily got some visitors in those days, so I hadn't been all alone, and Annetta came every day with food to me, making sure that my bandage was clean and that I myself was comfortable. But this was getting to boring, I would rather scrub the whole floor then lying here anymore. The only one I actually hadn't seen of the family was Ezio, which got me to think that maybe he thought that this was his fault?

In the days I had been lying here, my anger on him had dulled, in the start it was the only thing I really could think about, but that was more because I was bored to hell. He was only a young boy, and drunk too at that time, of cause that just made the whole thing explored in him… _I guess._ So next time I saw him I would get this thing out of the world, which was what I decided on.

Seconds got minutes which became hours and suddenly two more days had gone by in a slow speed. Today, that would be the day that I finally would be out of this bed, this room. It was suddenly scary that I knew the numbers of dots in the ceiling, but now I didn't have to count them again, and I surely couldn't find new ones anymore or more crazy patterns in the wood. Annetta had brought me a new dress, since the old one needed to be sewn and fixed before I could use it again. This time the dress was a matt, dark, pinkish red colored.

Stepping out from the room was like a dream. I took a deep breath and then I began my way down to the hall that connected the rest of the palazzo and had its entrance to the outside world there. I caught Annetta in the kitchen, which was filled with a delicious smell that caressed my nostrils and made my teeth watering.

"What are you making?" I looked over the pots that stood over the fire, whishing that I could get some of this, God that tasty smell; I could almost taste it in my mouth. Annetta smiled when she saw me, saw how affected I was by the smell of her food.

"Something I'm sure you would like" She answered not looking at me, but just stirred in another pot as if that one was more interesting than me. I looked at her when she didn't reveled what it was.

"So secretive you are! Oh well, something I can help with?" I asked with a big vigorous smile and life full eyes. She giggled a little by my expression and nodded a little one.

"Can you go to the market and buy me some apples? I'm going to make dessert today" Surprised I was, dessert even.

"Are we celebrating something?" I asked in wondering as I began to walk over the wall were a basket was hanging, than looking at Annetta when she answered me.

"Well, I'm not sure, but Giovanni sounded happy when he asked me to make a dessert today" I lifted an eyebrow shortly but just shook with my head, making my eyebrow fall down to its naturally place and began to open the door. "Well, I will be going now, see you" I waved brief and out I was.

"Heeello world, miss me?" I asked as if the surroundings would answer me back, well not in a loud voice but I guess I got a few glares by nearby people, but oh whatever, I was finally free from my prisoner of a bed, and now outside in the fresh air, with lots of other people. It was a surprise that I could hold the desire to dance around back.

"Oh Oria! You're finally out!" I looked surprised as if the world actually had answered back, but I soon saw in the direction the voice had come from, and there I found Federico walking towards me with a pleased smile.

"Federico!" I bust out in surprise, really happy to see him.

"So what have you been up to now?" I asked while a smile took form on my lips as I took some few steps closer towards him.

"Oh, well, the usual" A brow rose on my forehead and my arms took a folded formation.

"The usual? Like what? Getting laid?" I teased and giggled a little afterwards, knowing him, he wasn't much better than Ezio, but he did have another style regarding ladies. He shook laughing with his head and couldn't hide his teeth filled smile as his hands took a hold at his hips.

"Such language young lady" He japed as he pointed a finger at me in a very determined way, but I couldn't really hold my masked and just giggled a lot – I was way too hyper.

"Haha, you know me! I say what I please!"

"I know" He laughed.

"So where are you going? Doing chores?" I nodded swiftly as answer.

"Yeah, so I should be going"

"Then let me accompany you for a little while, I'm going in the same direction after all" he smiled and showed me the way. We began to walk steady down the road.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"It seems like my younger brother is going to enjoy himself with beating the living life out of Vieri's men, so I will just be a good big brother and look out for him" He had too must amusement in his voice to be taken serious, but I couldn't hold my surprise back and a little worrying got me in.

"Don't worry, it's Ezio we are talking about, I have taught him well how to defend himself, sometimes it's like he is better than me, but of course that is not the case" He had seen my worrying face. He got me to smile again, it was nice to feel the friendliness, and a warm feeling buzzed in me.

"Well, now, bello (beautiful), I will have to go that way."

We made our goodbyes, and took our own ways after this, I didn't see him before night fall, and I didn't even get to see Ezio that day. A slightly disappointed feeling had make it ways through, but also a soothing feeling was in me, something in me was not yet ready to face him.

"To be yawing when you're already accustomed to be up this early, will you ever learn?" I glared out from the edge of my eyes on Annetta, I knew the last thing she said was more to herself than to me, but it was loud enough for me to hear it. Damn, why could I never really get used to get early up?

"_So_ sorry." I said though it was an ironic voice.

"Uh, getting cocky are we" She teased, I just shut up after that, too tired to do this, I might have end up saying something really stupid, which I had a tendency to do. I was actually quite spirited yesterday, what had happened to all my energy? _Argh enough._

"Oh, have you seen the young master?"

"Ezio? No I haven't. Why would I?" I asked wondering, it was still early, so he would probably still be sleeping, but when I thought about it, he hadn't been there at all when the dinner was served yesterday and his plate hadn't been used. So he wasn't even home, but then again the same thing happened with Federico, but I saw him later in that evening.

"Well, you just seem to have a good relation with the young masters, so I thought-"  
"You thought that I would know where they were every hour of the day? Haha, no, I don't. Those guys aren't to get wise on" It suddenly hit me; Annetta was asking _me_ about the boys… _me_. She should be the one to know them best.

"Haha, they are just young boys, he is probably with Christina, now that I think about it" My brow raised itself a little as I looked at her.

"Probably. What does their father say to this? That they are laying with so many women?" She saw surprised at me, as if it was not a thing a woman should ask, but then she just shrugged.

"Who knows, my job is not to know everything inside this palazzo."

"I see" I said while walking out the door with my arms full of plates ready to make the morning table.

Ezio hadn't been at the morning table, and for some reason I didn't like it, it wasn't the first time it had happened, but maybe my restlessness was due to that fact that I still hadn't made up with him. I took myself in just standing still, getting more and more away in my thought, and with a fast moment I slapped my hands against my cheeks as to wake myself up.

_Damn Oria, pull yourself together. _

It wasn't that late yet, still morning. It was at that time I heard Giovanni's voice outside. He was speaking rather loud one moment. I couldn't resist stopping at the window to look outside. It was Ezio. It was weird to see him again. It had been so long since I last saw him. The last time was when he had tried to make a move on me.

If I concentrated enough I could actually hear some of the words he was saying… Ezio had been with Christina and made a mess when getting away. Suddenly Giovanni's voice got much more calm and enjoyable. _Men. _I sighed and began to walk away, like father like son I see. All big players when young and unmarried.

Later that day Maria had asked me to get her some flowers at a nearby shop, glad to be so much outside I had gone immediately. So after getting the money I was off to the street. This time I took my time, not really wanting to hast through the city I made my way in my own comfortable speed. My eyes locked on a little group of playing children, and my thought wandered on a little sore spot – My past. How had my past actually been like? Had I siblings? How were my parents? Were we rich or poor? Were they even alive? I felt a slightly head killing pain as I thought through the things, stopping me from thinking anymore about it. An unknowing sadness was beginning to spread through the inside of me.

I left a huge sighed and took a deep breath. I felt sadness when thinking about stuff like that, so I decided not to think much about it. I came to an open space area. It was very familiar but just like me I couldn't remember the name of it. I felt a mental face palm inside me. A church and a big tower standing beside it filled the middle of the big space. A few men were standing beside the tower, and I could immediately recognize them as Veri de Pazzi's men. _Should I go another way? Hell no, I have nothing to do with them. It's only Ezio that fool, who has a problem with them! _

With that settled I tried my best walking with as much pride as I had, trying forgetting what had happened last time I was chased by them, making me yet again think about Ezio. He certainly did occupy my thoughts much more than to my liking. In the distance I could finally see a florist. Making my way through the crowd I was more than already certain which flowers I would be buying.

That was when I heard loud noises separating from the crowd itself. People was fast getting away from there, or making a lot of a distance to whatever was happening. I turned to see only to get surprised.

SMACK.

My eyes widen in shock. It was Ezio hitting… Duccio. I found myself dumbfound for a minute or two, before realizing what was going on. Forgetting all about the flowers I began to close the distance between them and me. I could hear on Ezios voice that he was angry, but the reason to let this anger go out on Duccio I had yet to understand. I felt like I should interrupt but that was until I understood why Ezio was angry, why he now was hitting Duccio.

So the bastard had been cheating on Claudia, feeling a little angry on the inside, I could feel how relived I was for every punch Ezio made. Maybe I was a little violent. Would normal young women really feel glad about somebody getting punched? - I guess not.

Ezio finished Duccio after his nose said a loud knack and blood was fussing out and with the last angry words Ezio left in a hurry, not seeing me in the crowd. Well maybe that was for the best. After I had turned my attention to the florist, brought the flowers I wanted, I began to walk home again.

Later in the afternoon it was time to entertain the little Petruccio. But when I entered the room, I only found an empty bed. I looked a little surprised around.

"Petruccio? Hey where are you?" But no one answered back, there were only me in the room making me a little nervous about the whereabouts of the little one. I peeked outside in the corridor, but as I expected I found neither him nor anybody else. _Great, what now?_

I decided not to yell in the whole palazzo, I would probably just making the whole situation much worse than it already was, so as I walked around I only let a little out of my voice. At the end of my search, I was standing before the big staircase in the hall. My search had been absolutely fruitless on the upper floors which had driven me down on the first floor. But when I began thinking about him, I suddenly on instinct made my way outside. I was relived, really relived when I saw him standing outside the front gate looking at something.

"Petruccio! What are you doing outside?" I asked calm as I walked closer. He looked surprised at me but just smiled in return.

"I'm waiting for my brother" My face turned a little wondering over this, waiting?

"On who?"

"Ezio!" he replied with a trend of sweetness in his voice, but this time he pointed onto the roof of the building in front of us, I looked as I puzzled a little over this. But just as he had said I saw Ezio hopping around doing something.

"What is he doing?" I looked yet again on Petruccio, I couldn't make any sense on this behavior, so it was much easier asking than trying to figure it out on my own.

"He is collecting feathers to me"

"Aaalrigh, but if I know him right, he wouldn't leave you without making sure you would go inside again, so off you go, come on" I said smiling as I took a hold of his shoulder in a gentle touch. He began to pout a little, but did as I told him to do. I giggled a little by his small face, but just shook my head as he ran inside again, leaving me behind but I felt a little discomfort by the fact that he couldn't go outside as so many other boys at his age. I sighed yet again that day but just as I was supposed to take the first step inside I heard how a bump was made close by and a little fainting breath took shape, as if somebody had ran.

I looked a little behind and saw Ezio coming through a small crowd with fine eagle feathers in his hand. Well he was a good big brother I supposed, but I began to feel a little discontent seeing him coming closer and my thought came onto the past where he had tried his moves on me. Of cause I wanted to be reasonable but a place inside me was still a little mad.

"So you can also be a caring brother and not just a lady killer, refreshing" I blurt out as he walked closer, I felt like a stone dropping down the ocean. His face stiff a little but just smiled a little in response as if he didn't really know what to say or make as an excuse from my unfriendliness. It was at that moment I suddenly realized something new was added to his face, a scar over his lip. _When did that happen?_

"I can see that you're alright now" He just said ending up in front of me.

"Well, it certainly has been some days since my little 'work accident'."

"Oria, I think we need to talk" He saw at me with a serious face but the voice was mild yet strong, it had been such a long time since I had heard his voice. I just nodded a little and with that we headed towards the door, but the moment we were at the atrium, Ezio was at the start of his new sentence, his name could be heard as a yell from inside. He looked a little surprised and a tad irritated.

"It's alright, we can talk later, give me the feathers and I will give them to Petruccio" I smiled while I raised my hand to receive the feathers. Ezio just nodded and gave me the feathers and then made his way towards his dad's office. I stood still a little before I made my way to Petruccio's room.

I knocked on the door before stepping in. Petruccio looked anticipating at me as I walked closer to him and finally handed the feathers to him.

"Here you go" I said laying them in his hands and getting a small stool that was standing near the bed. Petruccio smiled, thanked me and got a chest up from under the bed where he put the feathers in. I just looked a little at him, seeing how happy he was made me calm.

"So what are you going to use them for?" I asked a little interested. He just giggled and made a charming smile.

"It's a secret."

Well that made me only more curious, but I knew him, once setting his mind on something there was no going back, so I took his answered for the time being.

"Oria I have been thinking…" I raised my brows in question.

"Hmm?"

"Are you not really good with knives and such?" He took me aback by that.

"Huh? What do you mean? Sure I'm not a master in cooking, but I'm better at using knives than Annetta."

"I see, well, it's just that your hands are rather scarred for a girl and a servant" He looked a little concerned about this, which made me smile a little as a giggle left me.

"Oh, yeah, well I have had these as long as I can remember. Well there are probably some few new among them, but other than that, they are exactly as I can remember them" I looked down at my hands. Sure they didn't look like a noble lady hands, but they wasn't that bad. Well my hands weren't the only ones that were scarred, but only I knew of that. Of cause it wasn't something that you would see at first, these light colored scares.

"So, for today what do you want to do?" I asked changing the topic of our conversation.

"A story!" He said with a brisk voice and a big smirk.

Before I knew it time had fly by in such hurry and an hour or so had gone by. The time with Petruccio was over for now and I had some free time right now, before I had to help Annetta with dinner. The day hadn't been that much of a difference than the others… that was until some uninvited guests suddenly felt like they had to come.

As I was near the stairs I could hear loud voices, a lot of unfamiliar voices. Hoarse, sharp ones that made my hair stiffen and rise all over my body. I didn't like this. What I saw was a lot of guards invading the Palazzo, using violent forces and fighting with Giovanni and Federico.

_What the hell is going on?_ I thought, I barely made any noise before Federico saw me.

"ORIA! Take Petruccio and get out of here" It was a shock suddenly hearing my own name in this situation, I only nodded a little half hearted and turned around as fast as my body could, but Federico's suddenly yelling had made the guards aware of me. Though I just ran on the hallway, I could hear the metal that jingled as a guard behind me ran after me.

In this speed I suddenly seized an object, long a woody that was standing up against the wall. I looked a little behind me seeing how the guard was getting closer and closer, I thought that a normal thing for a lady in this situation would have been screaming, just that, I didn't, I got irritated. Petruccio's door came in sight, and as I was at it I forced the door up with a big bang and turned around in the same moment as the guard came. I hadn't time to look at Petruccio reacting on this I just held the woody object in the air above my head. And as the guard was there ready with his sword the object I held, a broom, raced down towards his face, hitting him hard making him fall down to the ground, the broom knack with a loud noise, a second after or so I let go of the broom.

"O-Oria?" Petruccio asked worried but also a little frighten. I looked back at him a little stunned over my action but also a little lost for breath.

"No time to questions, we have to go NOW" I was fast over by his side, taking him out from the bed. Luckily he had normal day-clothes on, ready to be out on the streets. I took him by his hand and sat the course towards the door and out on the hallway, but before that I took the guards sword, not knowing why, but I just knew that a guard without his weapon wasn't as dangerous as one with one.


	8. Author Note

**Hey Guys! **

**I am SO sorry for this very late note from me. I have been very nelecting, and I can say that yes, the next chapter have been finished for a very long time, but because of the way I have written my story, I am very long away from being satisfied, and I have pretty much lost my beta-reader, and I am not a very good spelling-gramma-mistake-****_something_****-finder. **

**Besides I am the type who is much stronger in writing 3-person, and I can't really say I have been doing just that here. Now the furture of this story is very unstable and I'm not really into the AC2 universe as much as I have been, if I'm going to finish this, I will be making it over, completely from scratch! **

**Until then, I can say that this story's status is: ****_DIS-continued_**** for now. (I'm very sorry, I hate it when others do this, but I just think it's fair to at least give you something to go by - not holding you in the dark!). **

**Thank you all for the very lovely comments so far, the followers (not many but I'm not complaining!) **


End file.
